Aurem Quattor: The Prisoner of Azkaban
by Isa Wilson
Summary: Third year is here! Quintessa Crosswell is back and with her cousin Johnnie as she journeys through another challenging year. To survive, she'll have to battle: puberty, frustrating hormones, possible crushes and a humongous mystery surrounding her past: She's half a Crosswell, but who is the other parent? Find out in one of the most enthralling books of the Golden Quartet!
1. A Deal With the Devil's Wife

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

In the mysterious workspace of Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster himself was pacing away in his office, reflecting on the immense pile of possible events to come. Since word of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban had reached him, he was instantly reminded of all of those years of chaos and departures during the war.

And speaking of departures, there was one that was fresh on everyone's mind in that time. Everyone who knew Morgan Crosswell at least.

Deciding to go over a particular set of events leading to that departure, Dumbledore walked to his Pensieve, poured a special memory he acquired years ago, and plunged into a misty world of a memory.

 _The Malfoy Mansion was beheld in the afternoon sunlight in it's rich and pureblood glory, as always. Especially when the Dark Lord was rising on his conquest to absolute power._

 _One day in cold December of 1979, Lucius Malfoy was out serving the Dark Lord through his slithering ways while Narcissa, his wife, had a much more secretive plan in mind and it had barely played out._

 _In the grand space that was the living room, another woman walked in with Narcissa. She was a woman in her 20's with blond hair, clear blue eyes and skin that was starting to show it's pregnant glow but her emotional state would say otherwise. She was worried and on her guard, from being on the run from Death Eaters constantly raiding villages and killing people. Half of her colleagues were already in hiding or dead. She hadn't even talked with her best friend Lily Evans, who was also pregnant at the time_

" _Can I get you anything?" The Malfoy matriarch asked sweetly. "Something to eat or drink? I can get my house elf to do something."_

" _No_ _thanks_ _." said Morgan. "I'm quite fine. Where's Lucius? Creeping in the hallways as usual?"_

 _"Not this time_ _." replied Narcissa cooly. "I thought we could talk."_

 _The two witches sat down on a comfortable leather couch while Morgan said, "I know that even though you support a monster and you somehow care about me , but what's happening it's between me and...him."_

" _Yes, of course" Narcissa said accordingly while pulling out a folder containing Morgan's file and picture._

" _What is that?" asked Morgan._

" _Oh I had one of the goblins at Gringotts write up a dossier on you." said Narcissa taking quick notice of Morgan's stern look. "I'm sorry but it's a necessary precaution against a fraudulent claim of paternity."_

" _Well the baby is his." said Morgan._

" _Oh." Narcissa agreed. "Of that I have no doubt. My investigators were quite thorough. But you can imagine, how much trouble people will get themselves in just to get even a single Knut from my family."_

" _Well I'm not looking for money." said Morgan with a sharp tone, enough to cut steel._

 _Narcissa only smiled while pulling out a small piece of paper from the file but stopping to talk to Morgan. "Of course not. Now, the Dark Lord will rise no doubt and your friends are so busy hiding themselves and their families. I know you Morgan, we used to be friends. And when it comes to friends, you would sacrifice your life to save them. But look at you now. Would you really sacrifice the life of your unborn child?"_

 _"Of course not!" Morgan exclaimed. "I'd do anything for my kid."_

 _"Exactly." said Narcissa. "I didn't call you here to flatter you with your hero complex. I called you here to lend a hand."_

 _"After all the innocent people you've killed?" Morgan asked venomously. "What makes you so sure I won't send up a flare right now?"_

 _"Because I know a way to give your son and daughter a childhood." Narcissa replied boldly. Her words seemed alluring for Morgan as she listened with intensity._

" _I'm not giving up anything and there's no way that you're gonna make me." said Morgan defiantly._

" _Oh it's not a compromise." said Narcissa. "I'm just giving you a choice to make." She then pushed in Morgan's hand, a check._

" _I told you I don't want money." said Morgan._

" _And I am telling you." said Narcissa. "That I want to offer my generosity in the name of our past friendship. Please."_

 _Morgan read the check and looked up in shock. "This is an international converter check...for a million."_

" _I want to make certain that he or she." Narcissa pointed to her stomach. "has a bright future. I may not be a mother yet but I am certain that's what every mother wants for their child."_

" _I get what you're saying_ _." said Morgan eyeing the check. "What's it to you? Why the money? I mean, surely you may get something out of this."_

" _That's my business." said Narcissa. "The only thing I need is to ensure that you leave the country and never return, is to disappear, even from the father's life."_

 _Immediately Morgan's head shot up, looking at the witch in shock and disbelief. "What?!"_

 _"This is between you and me so I don't want anyone to know about this._ _" said Narcissa. "Disappear, and your child will remain unharmed. I can't say the same for your friends, but Morgan, you can't save everyone."_

 _Morgan looked at the check with trembling hands and thrust the check back into Narcissa's hands. "No. I won't take your money and spend it all on some getaway vacation while my friends, my family fight in this war."_

 _"It's your choice." said Narcissa. "I'm only offering simple solutions. But can I offer some advice, one mother to another?" She rubbed her pregnant belly which was almost close to starting to show. "When it comes to your children, there is no action that is inconceivable, there is no decision that is impossible. You do what you must to provide the life that they need. And I think that moving back to America, now more than ever, is reasonable enough to provide the life that this child needs." She held the American's hand while looking at her cold in the eyes. "And you wouldn't want anything to happen to your friends...would you?" Narcissa took the check and put it into Morgan's hand._ _"You always were quite the stubborn one, Morgan."_

 _"Classic Cissy Black." said Morgan. "Always thinking of a backup plan."_

 _"It never hurts to have one." The Malfoy Matriarch smiled. "Besides, the truth is set in stone: Mother knows best."_

The memory ended right there, and Dumbledore shot out of the Pensieve immediately. It had pained the Headmaster that he had learned of one of his most special student's disappearance but at least Morgan kept secret contact with him after the First Wizarding War ended. Of course he was at her funeral and he still remembered witnessing a young Quintessa's Innocence ripped to shreds. Dumbledore walked over to the large windows and sighed deeply in content as he watched the rain pour down like hailstones.

"It is almost time." He said to himself.


	2. The Jenga Pieces Tumble

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Tess Crosswell was a highly unusual girl in many ways. While other girls were either shopping or getting their nails done, she would be the only girl in the abandoned tunnel performing dangerous stunts with her skateboard. On another example, part of her really wanted to do her homework but another side of her just wanted to have fun and risk breaking a bone or jail time. And she also happened to be a witch. Fresh off of her second year, Tess had already turned 13 and that meant for a young girl at her age, changes were coming. Changes that would require a long talk, which luckily she already had ahead of her time.

It was nearly 7 o clock, and she was finishing a 180 degree turn on her skateboard slope when she skidded to a halt to take a drink from her water bottle.

"Nice moves man!" A No-Maj (American version of Muggle) came over and fist bumped her. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I've had practice." Tess said coolly.

They say to never judge a book by it's cover, but when it came to Tess, it was impossible to think she wasn't distinct from most people, especially with her fair skin, blonde hair and bright violet eyes.

Checking her watch, she decided she was bored and kicked off her skateboard's wheels, curving her way through the streets of New York City. On her way back to her apartment building, she stopped for some frozen yogurt, something that she loved about America that Britain didn't have. But unbeknownst to her, it would be the last frozen yogurt she would have for a while.

At her apartment, a young Squibb had just returned home from a long day at work. Sara Crosswell slumped in the small chair, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Johnnie!" She exclaimed. "Tess! I'm home! I'm gonna make some casserole so I need the table set." She walked to the refrigerator and opened it to find just a bunch of bottles and cheese. "There's no milk. So I'm gonna give you money to go to the store and get it while I start cooking." She opened her wallet from her purse and scrimmaged through it. "Damn it. I don't have any money. Use what you can and I'll pay you back. You two aren't even here are you?"

Just then, the doorbell rang and Sara made haste to the door only to find when she opened it, an Asian man standing there, a colleague from MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America).

"Oh, Lee. What are you doing here?" She asked. "The shareholder meeting ended."

"It did." Lee said solemnly. "I've come with bad news. The International Department is downsizing starting tonight. They need to save money to start over. In other words...you're one of the 150 people who have been fired."

"What?!" Sara exclaimed, nearly fainting. "But how? This shouldn't be possible, the department's never had downsize even when Wall Street Crash happened!"

"It's a new policy Sara." said Lee. "Instead of cutting salary, they're cutting jobs."

"Hey!" An angry voice sounded. Johnathan Crosswell marched up to the door of his apartment. "What the hell is this bullshit? I go to my freaking internship and I get this pink slip saying that my internship has been revoked?!"

"Johnnie, that's enough!" Sara pulled her son in.

"Yes I am sorry young man." said Lee. "Since MACUSA has started downsizing, any money transferred has been revoked, including tuitions, loans, and internships."

"No." said Sara. "No, you can't do this."

"I'm sorry Sara." said Lee. "I've also been fired. I'd just thought you ought to know."

"Thanks Lee." said Sara, hugging her friend. "And good luck buddy. You're gonna need it."

After Lee nodded and left off, the blonde Squibb closed the door and went to the only bedroom (she always slept on the sofa) to find her son, as usual, punching the life out of his pillow.

"Johnnie." She said to try to bring him out of his raging stupor. But he kept punching the pillow as if the pillow were MACUSA itself.

"Johnathan!" She shouted with enough force to shake the 17 year old wizard out of his anger. "I don't want to upset you."

"Ma." The dark haired American took his mother's face into his hands. "This is not your fault. Those bastards are the ones who should be answering." He punched the pillow one more time.

"We can't think about that now." said Sara. "Right now, we need to clear our heads and think this through."

Johnnie scoffed with indignation. "Think this through? Ma, your job was the only way we could afford this apartment! The national economy went to crap when the first Wizarding War happened, and after Dad died, we practically had no money. My jobs barely cover the rent now. God, what are we gonna do?"

"Do about what?" Mother and son turned to the front door to see Tess dropping off her skateboard. "What's going on?"

Sara walked to her niece and gave her a hug only a mother could give to her child. "Sit down, sweetie. We have a lot to talk about."

With downtrodden expressions and while breathing in an air of melancholy, the small family sat together and told Tess everything.


	3. A Last Resort

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

10 days after receiving the news and trying to sort this ordeal out, The Crosswells found themselves walking out on the streets. They had just been kicked out of their own apartment because they could no longer afford to pay the bills and the landlord wasn't too pleased with this. They never stopped to rest until they reached Central Park. They were all panting from the effort of dragging their trunks containing most of their life possessions, the ones they could afford to carry. Tess sat quite still on the bench next to her aunt and cousin, anger coursing through her.

But after ten minutes, a new emotion overtook her: panic. Where would they go? All the closest and cheapest hotels had been full because of vacation season. Would they end up homeless? No, that was what Sara worked so hard for, not to end up on the streets.

"You have to admit it's quite a coincidence." Johnnie finally spoke. His tan had lightened a little bit and he was straightening his cap. "This Remus Lupin shows up out of nowhere, he happens to be the last international customer of Mom's, and gets a job. After that, no one comes to the office for a job and then poof, the bank takes everything, including our own house."

"Son, I know you're upset." Sara said soothingly, stroking her son's cheek. "But we can't resort to blaming people."

"Years of our lives." said Johnnie. "Everything we've worked for, our reputations, our dreams. If it's not something at work then please tell me, what the hell happened?"

Tess looked up the full moon shining over the city, she was asking herself the same question, aside from Johnnie's anger of blaming the man she met before she went to Hogwarts.

"Let's imagine you're MACUSA." said Sara. "And you're a booming national business. As the economy rises, so does the value of even a single Dragot. It's called inflation. Budget cuts start coming into place, salaries need to be cut to save money so they can make more and they start downsizing. How do they do that? They get rid of the useless stuff, that includes a small section of the International Relations Department."

"That still gives them no right to take our fucking house." Tess snarled.

"I know you're angry." said Sara. "But we can't focus on the what ifs. We need to keep moving forward and find a solution."

"Well how do you suppose we do that?" Johnnie asked. "My friends are on vacation and their parents already kind of hate me for being lower class."

"And Ron's family and Hermione are in Egypt and France." said Tess. "I don't wanna worry them. Unless I got Harry's relatives confused, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let us within 50 feet of their house.

There was a heavy pause before Sara asked "Hey Tess, didn't you mention something about an inn in London? I can't remember the name though. The Leaky..."

"The Leaky Cauldron?" Tess finished.

"That's right" Sara said. "Alright, I don't know how we're gonna do it, but we're gonna get to London and stay in that inn at least for tonight. I will not have my babies sleeping next to a dumpster."

"You're kidding right?" Johnnie asked.

"This is your home as much as it is mine, Johnnie." said Tess. "But think about our options here. Your mom has sacrificed so much so we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Well we are and how are are we supposed to get to London anyway?" asked Johnnie.

On cue, Sara reached into her purse and fished out a small bag of what looked like ash with some green sparkles in them. "I bought some on the night Lee told us the news."

"There's an inn in London, it's right next to Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic is about several blocks away from that inn." said Tess. "This is absolutely possible."

"You still have some Galleons right?" asked Sara, seeing Tess' small sack in her hand. "That should cover us for at least 2 nights."

"But how are we supposed to get to London?" Tess asked. "Our fireplace was broken already."

Johnnie stood up immediately and grabbed his effects, looking out into the city.

"I know a place."


	4. The Leaky Cauldron

**Hey guys! I'm finally back! I am so sorry for making you all wait this long as I have been super busy in the past few months but I am back! And** **(cover your ears) I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER WHATSOEVER! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE QUEEN HERSELF! Whoo!**

 **Except for my OC's. Those, are the sole property of moi :)**

After walking for a few miles all the way into Manhattan, Johnnie Crosswell stopped at a local pay phone to call a someone. It took a few minutes, but as soon as Johnnie hung up the phone, he led his family to a local popular cafe, called Starbucks. Once they got inside from the outside summer, Johnnie nodded at his mother and cousin, and waved at one of the waiters at the counter.

"Hey, Eduardo!" The teenager looked up at the travelling family. He had a crooked jaw, long floppy hair and russet toned skin that almost looked bronze in the neon pink light. He had just put down a latte on a table when he walked over and gave his old friend a hug.

"It's so good to see you again, mi amigo!" The Mexican born wizard then took a look at Johnnie's mother. "I see Manhattan's flower has returned!" Then he took a look at Tess. "I assume this is the famous Tess Crosswell."

"Yes, I am." She said.

Eduardo whispered to Johnnie. "I don't know who is muy bonita now. Your mom or your cousin?"

"Watch it." Johnnie warned playfully. "Both are off limits."

"Let me guess." Eduardo gestured to an empty table behind him. "Mermaid Frappuccino?"

"Not tonight mi amigo." said Johnnie. "Remember what we discussed?"

"Right this way." Eduardo quickly hustled the Crosswells through the back in a dark alley behind the cafe.

"The glove is on the floor." Eduardo pointed to a ratty baseball glove on the floor. "It should be able to get you to this Leaky Cauldron in _un rapido minuto._ "

"I may not know who you are, young man, but I can't thank you enough." Sara gave the Latino wizard a bone-crushing hug.

" _Gracias_ _señorita_."

"Thanks man!" Tess high fived Eduardo and gave him a fist bump. "Hey cuz, how'd you find a nice guy like this?"

"Long story short," Eduardo clapped Johnnie's shoulder. "When he came to the US, I helped him escape Border Patrol."

America was a melting pot even in the 90's and a lot of people from all over the world moved to the United States to start a new life in the land of opportunity. But Eduardo Garcia one of a group of travellers, many Americans referred to as "illegal immigrants", meaning they used unconventional means to get by Border Security. So to most Americans, it doesn't matter that they are criminals or innocent people, even infants were branded as "illegal aliens".

Whenever they arrived to the United States, immigrants had to be put on a waiting list and fill out a long trail of paperwork to become a citizen of America. But some immigrants didn't want to wait for so many years. To escape poverty in Mexico, Eduardo Garcia snuck on a boat and smuggled himself to the United States. If he hadn't ran into Johnnie Crosswell at the airport one day (Johnnie was meeting Cody Smith, one of his friends) Eduardo would have been held in custody like a criminal and deported back to Mexico.

"I should get back." said Eduardo. "My boss will fire me if I sleep on the job."

"That is if you actually sleep." said Tess.

"I like this one." Eduardo nudged Johnnie.

"Garcia!" A Brooklyn accent yelled through the door. "Get your Spic ass back in here!"

"That'll be him." Eduardo sighed. "Hey, Johnnie, this world, it's changing. I suggest you hold onto your family before something bad happens."

"Eduardo." He stopped when he opened the door. "Good luck, man."

After a wave of goodbyes, it was just the three Crosswells in the Manhattan alley.

"Uh sweetie?" Sara asked tentatively. "May I ask why you went through all of this trouble to get a baseball glove?"

"See, this is why I never take you games Mom." Johnnie rubbed his hands together. "But to sum it up, this baseball glove is how we escaped Border Patrol in a flat second. Now, everybody, put your hands on the glove. And you might wanna hold onto your stuff and not look down."

"No, please tell me this is not what I think it is!" Sara exclaimed, already dreading what was coming.

"Probably should have gotten a trash bag." Tess grabbed onto the glove. "Aunt Sara, come on."

With a trembling hand, Sara Crosswell gripped onto the glove and the three New Yorkers felt the world violently spinning and dissolving into thousands of colors. It was a good thing their fingers were attached to the gloves like magnets or they probably would have gone flying into nowhere. For a tiny second, Tess could see Sara's face darken to a sickly shade of green.

Before they knew it, they landed on a street, their luggage still with them. While Johnnie and Tess were clutching their heads from the dizziness they experienced, Sara jumped up and looked around before running off to a corner in search of the nearest trash can.

"Every time." Tess shook her head in pity.

"I got this." Johnnie stretched his legs for a bit before jogging to where his mother was emptying her stomach of their dinner.

Johnnie had already pulled back his mother's hair before she even noticed him. "Take your time. Mom."

After emptying out the last of her stomach's contents. "Thanks honey." She whispered raspily.

It wasn't a secret that travel by Portkey was the Squibb's least favorite way to travel. No matter how far she went, Sara was prone to violent vomiting as soon as they landed in their destination.

"Come on." She wiped her lips. "Let's get back to your cousin."

When they met up with Tess, who fortunately had already recovered from her dizzy spell (no pun intended), she led them into the first door she saw, which was under a sign that said, "Leaky Cauldron."

"Ah!" A bartender exclaimed from near. "Travellers I assume?"

"Yeah, you could say that." said Johnnie. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tom." The bartender said. "I run the Cauldron. Are you in need of rooms?"

"Yes." said Sara immediately. "Yes, thank you. Kids, I'm gonna take care of the room business while you two go take a seat."

While Sara arranged the living spaces for her family, Johnnie plopped in a nearby chair like a rag doll.

"Maybe I should have taken that Frappuccino." He rubbed his temple in irritation as he felt a headache start to creep on him.

"Mope all you want." Tess piped up sarcastically. "I'm going to explore."

Leaving her possessions next to her cousin, she made her way upstairs, undetected of course and was walking down the first corridor, when something quite interesting caught her ear.

"...Accidental Magic Reversal Department was dispatched immediately, she has been punctured and her memory modified."

With curiosity getting the best of her, she casually walked in like it was just another day and leaned against the wall. Surprisingly, no one, not even the hunchback in the room (literally) heard her footsteps. It was as if she floated her way into the room. Standing in the middle of the room, talking to a boy in a green chair was none other than Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic. And even though she couldn't see the boy, she'd recognized the animal's nest that was Harry Potter's hair.

"She will have no recollection of the incident, whatsoever." Fudge said to Harry. "So that's that, and no harm done. Pea soup?" He lifted the lid of a silver bowl.

"Uh no thank you." Harry responded politely. "Um, Minister?"

"Yes?" Fudge had almost brought a crumpet up to his mouth.

"I don't understand." said Harry.

"Understand?" Fudge questioned the young wizard.

"I broke the law." said Harry, to which Tess in the background rolled her eyes. "Underage wizards are forbidden from using magic at home."

Tess brought her palm to her face in annoyance. _Still a two shoes._ She thought to herself.

"Oh come now, Harry." Fudge replied cheerfully. "The Ministry doesn't send people to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts!"

"Oh I see how it is." Tess finally spoke up. "I turn a pen into a sugar quill and I get a letter from you guys. But when Mr. Harry James Potter blows up his aunt, he gets off clean. Come on guys, where's the love?"

"Tess!" Harry ran to the blond witch and hugged her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

"Alright, alright, let's not be sappy." Tess hugged him only tighter, while Fudge whispered to Tom (the hunchback), "Did you see her come in?" Tom shook his head no.

"I'm a ninja, that's what." Tess boasted.

"I see the infamous Tess Crosswell has made her entrance." said Fudge. "You have grown quite a reputation since I last saw you."

Tess smiled. "Guilty."

"I had heard about the financial issues in America." Fudge said sadly. "I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do."

"I wasn't gonna ask that." said Tess. "But thanks, I guess."

"On the other hand, running away like that," Fudge turned his attention back to Harry. "Given the state of things, was very irresponsible."

"The 'state of things', sir?" Harry asked.

"We have a killer on the loose." Fudge clarified.

"You mean that Sirius Black?" Tess asked. "Yeah, us Americans have heard of him.

"Right you are." said Fudge. "Mr. Black is a very, very dangerous man. If you see him, do not hesitate to run from him."

"We'll be sure to avoid him." said Harry.

"Tess!" Johnnie's voice came from downstairs. "Mom's got a room for us!"

"Coming!" Tess shouted back. "I better go, I gotta help with the luggage. Harry, wanna come with?"

"Yes, speaking of rooms." Fudge said. "I will arrange for an available room for you, Harry."

"Hedwig." Harry spoke to his snowy owl who instantly came to her companions outstretched arm.

"Oh and while you're here, you two," Fudge added on. "It would be best if you didn't...wander."

"Who? Us?" Tess scoffed. "Never!"

Before Harry left with Tess, he turned around and said,

"Er — Minister? Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.

"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form. D'you think you could —?"

Fudge was looking uncomfortable. "Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian —"

"But you're the Minister of Magic," said Harry eagerly. "If you gave me permission…"

"No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly. "Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't… yes… well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry."

Once Fudge was out of sight, it was just Tess and Harry alone in the corridor.

"Good try though." She said.

"Thanks." Harry said bitterly. "I don't even know how I'm going to go to Hogsmeade now."

"Hey." She clapped his shoulder. "We'll find some way."

Once they got to the inn parlor, Harry was surprised to see Johnnie talking with his mother. He had expected only Tess to be there, knowing how independent she was, but not her cousin and aunt.

"Harry!" Johnnie walked up to Harry. "What's up little man?" He and Harry made a fist bump, followed by a high five.

"It's good to see you Johnnie." said Harry.

"Mr. Potter, right?" The bartender finished coming down from the flight of stairs. "You have room eleven and I carried your things there already."

"Thank you." said Harry.

After Tom left the parlor, Harry found himself being squeezed by a blonde heap of excitement, ie, an excited Auntie Sara.

"Oh I've missed you! And before you ask, any friend of Tess' is family to me. So of course we're all happy just to see you!"

At this point, it was getting difficult for Harry to breathe. "It's great to see you Miss Crosswell." He managed to croak through his crushed windpipe.

"Like I said before." She cupped his cheeks. "Call me Sara. You've grown so much! But we'll have to continue this reunion upstairs. You look tired."

They all headed upstairs, each carrying some luggage. Of course Harry volunteered to help was carrying a suitcase for Sara.

"Are you all on holiday?" Harry asked out of the blue.

"What?" Johnnie asked, not having heard Harry's question.

"I noticed you all have a lot of suitcases." said Harry. "Is that why you're all in London at this time of year? For holiday?"

"He means vacation." Both Sara and Tess translated in unison.

"But yeah." Tess dejectedly said, as she opened the door to the Crosswell's room. "You could say that."


	5. Helping Out a Stray or Two

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Once he learned of the Crosswell's predicament around breakfast the next morning, it didn't take long for Harry's bleeding heart to start leaking profusely. It was no surprise to Tess when he tried insisting that the family let him give them some money from his vault in Gringotts (the Wizarding bank in Britain)so Sara could find some way to buy back the apartment in New York City. Trouble was, Tess had already tried to do the same thing and the American economy could only do so much with foreign money (Back in the early 1990's in the wizarding community, the system exchanging foreign money for US money didn't exist).

Besides that, the American Squibb might as well have been Molly Weasley's cousin, because she too was as fierce as a lion and as stubborn as a centaur. In other words, neither Tess and Harry stood a chance in convincing her to borrow some money.

"It's your money and yours alone." Sara had said to the children. "And if you're gonna use it, use it for school supplies. Leave the big problems to me."

He wanted to offer some money to Weasley family at first when he realized how poor they were but he was afraid of embarrassing them since money was tight for them. At least they had a house.

Johnnie tried to calm Harry down by telling him that they would find some way to take back the apartment, even though he suspected that it was probably sold to another family by then.

"When the bank takes your home from you," Johnnie had said to Harry. "they literally take it. They say they give you time to sort your bills but that's just a pack of bullshit..They come by one night, break down the door and threaten to call the cops if you don't pack your shit in 30 minutes before they lock you out just like that."

"What about school?" Harry had asked him when he had finished his pumpkin juice. "You have your seventh year left."

"We can talk about that later." Johnnie had told him sharply. Sara and Tess exchanged a look, both unsure of what to do of the position Johnnie was in.

Unlike his cousin, he didn't have dual citizenship with Britain and America, which meant the chances of him returning to school in America for his seventh and final year were slim to none. When Sara got fired, she lost her connections with Britain, and with the Crosswell's being practically homeless along with having almost no money, dropping out of school seemed like the only option for him.

A few days slipped by, and Harry along with Johnnie and his cousin found themselves outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They wanted to give Sara the space to try to extend their stay at the inn. The young wizards were finishing some homework (with some help from Johnnie of course) when they heard someone say next to them:

"You didn't leave any seats for us?"

They all looked up and saw Hermione Granger accompanied by one Ron Weasley.

"Hey guys!" Tess hugged Hermione and Ron. "Oh I'm so glad to see you!"

"It's good to see you both again." said Harry.

"Let me get you guys some seats." said Johnnie.

"Actually your aunt told us you three were here." said Ron. "My family just came back from Egypt and we're having lunch at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Sounds like a nice idea." said Johnnie. "Alright you two nerds, let's get back."

"You should talk, Mr. All-Nighter." Tess teased her cousin, earning a small punch on the arm from Johnnie.

Once they got to the Leaky Cauldron in, the entire table was packed with redheads. Sara was still chatting with the manager about the family's stay while the Crosswells and Harry found themselves being greeted by the entire Weasley clan.

Once they got food, Sara hastily made her way and saw Molly Weasley try to stop an arm wrestling competition between the twins and Johnnie. Apparently the American teen was taking on each twin with each arm.

"Boys!" Molly tried to pry the boys away from each other.

"Don't bother." Sara plied Molly away. "They're boys, proving they're all that is kind of what they do." She smiled at Fred's failed attempt to push down Johnnie's arm but it seemed that being on the Quidditch team was no match for years of lifting heavy cargo and kickboxing lessons. Bottom line, in the end both Fred and George Weasley lost at the same time.

"Should I step in to-"

"No, let them simmer in their defeat." said Sara. "Men don't like to admit when they lose."

"You can say that again." Molly helped Sara sit down in the crowd.

"How did-"

"It's all in the wrist Georgie." Johnnie sipped his tea. "I really don't get why you Brits obsess over tea. It's just steamed water that tastes like plants."

"You should talk, American." Percy Weasley walked past him.

"Hey, Perce!" Tess exclaimed over the chatter. She was eating some biscuits (In Tess' words not dog ones). "So I hear you're Head Boy now!"

"Yes I am." said Percy.

"That's good." said Tess. "So what are you Head of? The League of Conceited Pricks?"

Immediately the entire room was in an uproar of laughter of Tess' comment, save for Percy whose face had turned even redder than his hair, if that was possible.

"It's nice to see you haven't lost your charm, Miss Crosswell." Percy immediately walked upstairs to his room to continue studying.

"So what brings you lot to London?" asked Ron.

"Are you here on holiday?" Hermione asked. "I can show you around. My mum knows this really great cafe and-"

"Thanks Mione." said Tess. "But right now, vacay is so not our top priority. In fact, me, my cuz, and aunt are doing anything **but** vaycay.

"First, your American language never stops giving me headaches." Hermione rubbed her head. "And second, what do you mean? Why else would you be staying here?"

 _Do you want to tell them?_ Harry's silent question didn't go unnoticed by Tess.

"Well, until further notice, we live here now."

Hermione instantly regretted opening her mouth, because she had never imagined that Tess, who she knew had financial problems in the US, would end up...homeless.

"You what?" Ron asked in utter disbelief. "How can you live here? It's the Leaky Cauldron not a house."

"Ron!" Hermione shot the redhaired wizard a glare before softening her expression at Tess. "Tell us what happened."

"Come on." Tess got up and the rest of the Golden Quartet followed her up, Ron cast a sad look at Sara who was scuffling through papers and taking notes, hoping to find some way to get back on her feet.

"We didn't know we would be evicted." Tess said as they walked down. "Well we did, but we didn't expect it to come so soon." Using her key, she opened the lock and the all stepped into the little room the Crosswell family were now forced to call home.

"It's a good thing there was a vacancy for a three bedder." said Tess. "And a cheap one at that. I sleep by the window." She pointed to the small bed that was glowing yellow under the sunlight. Barley shoved under the bed, were the suitcases containing Tess' belongings.

"It's not much, but it's what we could carry with us." said Tess. "We couldn't exactly bring the couch."

"This is everything you own?" Hermione asked completely aghast.

"Aunt Sara's trying to sell everything else." said Tess.

When Harry gave her a slice of bread, Tess quickly accepted it, mumbling a small "thanks" as she ate.

"I don't..." Ron was almost at a loss for words. "I don't understand. How could this happen?"

Tess brushed some of her golden hair out of her face (it was beginning to get longer by each passing year). "Johnnie was born in Queens, it's a place in New York, and Aunt Sara moved there when he was 3 because she got a great job offer. When my mom died, it was hard for us to make money or buy nice clothes because Sara is a Squibb. It was pretty hard on all of us. But then one day, it didn't become about Sara's social status anymore. MACUSA needed to make money, then it was last ones in, first ones out. We spent all our savings for Johnnie's tuition and down payment on the house.

Ron looked at the ground, ashamed of his self pity. He thought he had rotten luck when it came to money, but he never imagined in a million years, losing your home to the bank because you couldn't afford it anymore. His dad's job was decent enough and Tess' story was enough to make him immensely grateful that his father worked all those raids to provide for their children. He looked at Tess' sullen face and realized someone had to help the family in their hour of need. Tess had always stood by him, she was his best friend since that first train ride to Hogwarts with Harry. But how could he help? His family had spent their prized money on a trip to Egypt, so Ron didn't have many options to consider.

If there was a light bulb above his head, it would have been shining brighter than a Lumos Charm because Ron had then conceived an idea.

 _I know how to fix this!_ He thought to himself as he ran downstairs to talk to his parents.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded after the dissapearing 13 year old.

"It's ok." said Tess. "Ron just probably went to the bathroom."

"Are you going to be ok?" Harry asked.

Tess snapped her neck up and looked at him with the eyes of a hawk. "Does it look like I'm ok? My family is homeless and I don't even have enough money in my Gringotts vault to buy a house and keep it! Not to mention, we've already faced the possibility that Johnnie can't even go to his school to graduate and become a full fledged wizard, because WE CAN'T AFFORD A DAMN THING!" She got up and punched a hole in the window without hesitation. All three teens could hear the glass shattering on the street below.

"Tess, you're bleeding." Harry pointed out to some of the glass sticking out from Tess bleeding knuckles.

"No shit, Detective Potter." By then, Tess was pulling out some of shards. Once she met their worried faces, she calmed from her anger, just a little. "I-I'm sorry guys. I just don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Come here." Hermione had gotten a rag and Harry was helping Tess fish out some remaining shards. He already had experience with falling on glass so this type of injury wasn't new to him.

"Don't worry." Hermione rested her hand on Tess' shoulder. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

Later that night, Johnnie was walking back from his own little tour of London. He needed to take his mind off the stress and he always found that physical activity always helped him relax a little. Sometimes he liked to be a lone wolf.

When he got to the door of the inn, he heard a faint whimpering, almost like a desperate puppy. Looking down to the source of the whimper, he found a large black dog that looked like it had gone weeks without food. In fact, the dog looked almost like a was no collar or name tag.

"Hey buddy." Johnnie kneeled down and held out his fist. "Or is it a girl?" The dog growled in annoyance. "Ok, a boy I guess. Damn, you look like shit, considering you're a dog. I'm sorry, but I don't have any food for you." On cue, the dog looked up to the Leaky Cauldron. Noticing what the dog meant, Johnnie could only give a half hearted sigh. "I guess I could sneak you in and get you something."

With careful precision, Johnnie was able to sneak the dog in past the crowds. See, small animals were allowed in but nothing was said about dogs. Johnnie didn't want to cause trouble so he just snuck the dog in as a precaution.

"Sit here boy." Johnnie ordered the dog once they got to their room. "I'll be back." True to his word, Johnnie went down to the kitchens to get some food and in a few minutes, returned with some meat.

"Dig in."

The dog instantly jumped at the food and ate it in record time, literally to the bone. After the dog ate his meal, he jumped at Johnnie who was watching with fascination and started licking his face. "Easy boy! Easy!" The dog stopped goofing around, allowing Johnnie to wipe some drool from his mouth. "I guess you don't have a home and I don't have a pet. Never really had one since Tituba got hit by that car a few months ago. You would be cool with that would you?" The dog barked happily. "Ok. I guess strays do have to stick out for one another. But first, I'm gonna have to give you a name."

Instantly, the dog ran up to Sara's bed and placed a giant black paw over the 'note' in 'notepad'. Johnnie ran over to see it pawing the pad.

"Pad." He began. The dog stepped down and started smelling his sneaker. "Sneaker?" The dog shook his head. "Sock? Shoe? Foot?" At the last word, the dog barked happily.

"Ok." said Johnnie. "Padfoot it is.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Johnnie opened it to find Tess.

"Aunt Sara's calling us to the parlor." She said. "Something bout Ron's folks wanting to meet us."

"What's it to Ginger Spice and Company?" Johnnie asked curiously.

"I don't know bu-why is there a dog here?" Tess pointed to Padfoot, who was peering at Tess i keen observation.

"Tess, Padfoot." Johnnie introduced. "Padfoot, Tess."

"Aww." Tess cooed, scratching the black dog's head. "Cutie!"

"Come on, Tess." Johnnie led his cousin out and told Padfoot to stay behind. He didn't want anyone to see his new dog.

When they went inside the parlor, they saw to their confusion, the entire Weasley family, Harry and Hermione.

"Ok, what is going on here?" asked Johnnie.

"Please, sit." Arthur gestured to the chairs. "As we all know, a country's government works with the way it's country wants. Which means I don't know how we can help you get your house back in New York."

"I know." said Sara. "I didn't expect it to happen. Well I did but I kept working and trying to pay the bills, all so my son could go to school and it's a miracle Tess managed to hold on through all these years and be so strong."

"Sara-"

"Now to make matters worse." Sara continued rambling. "I don't know how my baby is gonna finish his education. He's a responsible nice young man, he deserves to-"

"Sara, come here." Molly held her a handkerchief. "Now before you continue your babbling, I will stop you with something that will cheer you up. Now while you may have lost your life in America, it doesn't mean you can't start somewhere fresh. To help you get started, everyone here has agreed, that starting from as soon as you can get your affairs in order, you and your family an live at the Burrow."

"What?" Sara whispered.

"It'll be a start." said Arthur. "You can find a job that will help you get started on patching things up. But to relieve the stress of finding a home, our home is your home."

"But what about-"

"As for Johnathan." said Arthur. "I think we may have a solution at hand. I've arranged for a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore, the Headmaster for Ilvermorney and Minister Fudge. In two days, I think you'll find yourself looking forward to attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And once he and Tess finish their school year, they can stay with us as long as they wish. Even during the holidays."

The entire room was silent but there was no tension. There was happiness, hope and joy in the air, except no one knew how to answer to it.

"I..I don't know, what to say." Sara breathed out.

"Say nothing." Molly replied. "Any friend of ours is extended family."

"Thank you!" Sara hugged Molly while Johnnie and Tess shook hands with Arthur.

"Don't give us the credit while you're at it." Arthur laughed. "It was all Ron's idea."

Everyone turned to their heads at Ron who was at the doorway and was as red as a tomato.

Tess was the first to thank him.

"Thank you Ron." She whispered, and he hugged her back. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

Johnnie walked up to him and said, "I owe you a lot, my friend. Thanks for helping us out."

Unfortunately, it was Sara who almost squeezed the life out of Ron. "Your parents must be so proud to have such a bright little boy."

Hermione half smiled at him. "That was pretty clever of him."

When everyone retired to their rooms, Harry noticed Ron was clutching his back. "You ok, mate?" He had asked him.

Ron looked at him and said in a squeaky breath, "I'm pretty sure that woman broke my back."


	6. Diagon Alley

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Even though he had friends around, it took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied. He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.

"Welcome to the city life, bruh." Johnnie had told Harry one morning. "Live in it."

Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, with the Weasleys, Crosswells and Hermione of course, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava.

After breakfast, Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bin, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.

But the more time he spent with his friends and their families, the more he began to feel as if he was part of their families. How could he not after all the exciting (yet some were embarrassing) stories he heard from them?

"That can't be true!" Fred said to Johnnie one morning.

"There's no way!" George backed up his other half.

"It's true." said Johnnie with a look of pride on his face. "Though I wish she wouldn't keep the head as a souvenir. The eyes still freak me out to this day."

"For what?" Hermione asked, still eating her toast.

"My great grandmother once chopped off an Ashwinder's head and kept it as a souvenir." Johnnie explained nonchalantly. It was as if he was talking about the weather.

"Ok." Hermione replied slowly. "I'm not sure what could be exciting about that-"

"Oh just ask him what Great-Grammy Victoria used to do it!" Tess answered in a boastful tone.

"I still can't get the creepy eyes out of my head, thank you very much." Johnnie drank his coffee.

"She did it with a pair of scissors." Tess answered for him. Harry was both frightened and amazed at the story. Then again, Tess' family was well known for their dauntless stunts.

But while he was listening to their stories, Harry never imagined that he would become the center of an embarrassing story. And it all started when Johnnie realized that Harry was 13 and would be going through a process known as puberty. Naturally, he took it upon himself to be the man of the house and lecture Harry on what the Americans referred to as, "The Birds and Bees" before it was too late.

"Harry!" Johnnie yelled out one evening. "Can you come here?"

"I'm here." said Harry in a matter of seconds. "And Tess told me that you have a dog."

"His name's Padfoot." said Johnnie. "And he's napping under my bed, but Harry, have a seat." He gestured to a couple of chairs. Johnnie's heart was thumping loudly in his chest. The only time he had ever felt this embarrassed was when he got beat in wizarding chess by a girl. Ever since that day, the Crosswell elder used the excuse of 'the sun being in his eyes' to mask his humiliation. But no excuse could save him or Harry from the conversation they were about to have.

"Were you going to tell me something?" Harry asked.

Johnnie took a big breath. He had to teach Harry about this, no matter how much he didn't want to. And he **really** didn't want to.

"Well Harry." said Johnnie. "I'm just gonna come out with it." He leaned in and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You are going to die very soon."

"WHAT?!" Harry nearly screamed. Johnnie just roared in laughter.

"Oh man, you should have seen your face!" He said between laughs.

"Johnathan, this isn't funny!" Harry exclaimed a little humiliated.

"Ok." Johnnie said calming down. "Harry...God I wish my Dad was here. Ummm...you're 13 right?" Harry nodded. "Ok..Harry your body is going to be going through some changes and well, hair will start growing in your armpits, face, you will get taller and maybe more muscular. It happened to me when I was your age and it happens to both wizards and No-Maj's alike. It even happens to females but just in a different way. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?"

Harry nodded slowly, blinking once.

"Good." He fumbled with his hair. "Now...you know what..your….parts are for, right?" Harry nodded slowly again, his face starting to turn white. "Now…" Johnnie dived into a speech about the hormonal and physical changes of growing men and the feeling of crushes and what to do with them. He also gave a little tip on how women are around hormones and how he should watch them, if they're feeling moody by a certain time of the month. By the end of the speech, Harry was stark pale white and he was a pinch close from passing out either from shock or embarrassment.

"Alright." said Johnnie, once the discussion was over. "You better get to bed." Harry left the room without question and went to sleep that night. He didn't want to spend his freedom remeniscing over a conversation he most certainly wanted to forget.

Harry spent the long sunny days with his friends exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ("It's a lunascope, old boy - no more messing around with moon charts, see?") or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ("Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban"). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour. Tess also got this as well as Ron and Hermione. Johnnie still perferred to get his ice cream, "old school" as the Americans called it.

Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts (Ron and the others had already bought their supplies), he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.

"Just come out - prototype -" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.

"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.

"Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favorites for the World Cup!"

A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:

** THE FIREBOLT **

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

Price on request...Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life - but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already? Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.

Johnnie on the other hand, once had to literally drag Tess away from the store because she wanted to look at the Firebolt and it was getting dark.

There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients, and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg, he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

Harry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet.

As Harry and Tess entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward them.

"Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"

"No we're lost and looking for ice cream," said Tess sarcastically.

"Forgive my friend." Harry said quickly.

"Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage.

"Hang on," said Harry quickly, "We've already got one of those."

"Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. "Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning -"

A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.

"Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility - cost a fortune, and we never found them."

"Well Mr. Manager, that's why the author of those books is what is known as a con artist." said Tess. "If any trader knows he's gonna sell something worthless and not worth a lot of gold, the least he can do is make it so that even a person with glasses can see."

Harry turned a bright red while the manager raised an eyebrow. "Well...is there anything else I can help you two with?"

"Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "We need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky."

"Ah, starting Divination, are you two?" said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul.

"Here you are," said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods - palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails."

Tess made a face on this but Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens - What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming.

"Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death."

But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar...

The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry and Tess's hands.

"Anything else?" he said.

"Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. "Er - We need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three."

Harry and Tess emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people.

Tess went to her room to take an apparent nice long nap.

He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin.

"It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent...It was probably just a stray dog...Strange how Johnnie's dog looks like it though."

He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat

"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice.


	7. Answering Questions with More Questions

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

As the days slipped by, the young wizards realized how close the start of the school year was-plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt; he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother. Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.

Harry woke on the last day of the holidays. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and took off to the Ice Cream Parlor to meet up with his friends.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice in the midst of their conversation.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron and Tess roared with laughter. "I just - lost control."

"It's not funny, you two," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested."

"Either way it sounded pretty awesome." said Johnnie.

Tess looked at Ron. "Your dad don't know why Fudge let Harry off, don't he?"

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, we're all going to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad's got this good deal on cars getting us there. So you four can come with us tomorrow morning. Hermione as well!"

"A deal?" Tess licked her ice cream. "Now we're talking bruh!"

Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off with all my Hogwarts things."

"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books -" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -"

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.

"Too bad we don't have Muggle Studies in America." said Johnnie. "It would be a blast to see the wizarding point of No Maj's. And maybe get a laugh or two on the misconceptions of certain things."

"Yeah, like how people say a tomato is a fruit." Tess agreed. "But it's not, it's a vegetable."

Johnnie laughed. "I beg to differ dear cousin of mine. It has seeds, therefore it's a fruit. But Hermione, I'm glad you're taking your work seriously. It's nice to know a bit of everything."

"Exactly!" Hermione said bouncing up and down, happy that someone understood her.

"Great." Ron muttered. "Now there's two Hermiones."

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry. Hermione ignored Ron.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.

"Never knew you liked to even read." Tess piped up.

"First, for Hermione you twit." Ron spoke to her in an annoyed tone. "Second, I do read. Occasionally."

"No, I don't think so, Ron." Hermione smiled. "But I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig, Tess has Crucible, and you've got Errol -"

"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.

"Yeesh!" Johnnie exclaimed. "That rat looks like it's almost scared to death."

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."

So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

"You mentioned cars but I forgot to ask." Johnnie asked while walking down the street. "But whose idea was it to drive an enchanted car for at least 50 miles just to get to school?" Johnnie eyed Tess, Ron and Harry suspiciously. In pure childish fashion, Harry pointed to Ron, Ron pointed to Tess while she pointed to both Ron and Harry.

"It's nice to see that Tess has rubbed off you dudes already." said Johnnie. "Hermione, I still have some hope for in terms of impulsive thinking."

"Oh like you can talk." Tess retorted with a wicked gleam in her violet eyes. "Remember your first kiss?"

"Hardy har har." Johnnie bit back with sarcasm lacing his voice. "Very funny, Tess."

"His first kiss?" Hermione asked in a perplexed manner.

Tess had to stiffen a giggle so she could speak clearly. "I never told you guys this?" Ron, Hermione, and Harry's shaking heads told her all she needed to know. "It's one of the most well known stories of the Crosswell family. Even our extended relatives talk about it! Go on, ask him how he survived his first date."

"I don't wanna talk about it." Johnnie mumbled irritably.

Of course, Harry never had any relationship with his cousin other than blood, but the glee plastered on Tess' face gave Harry the feeling that this was a story Tess loved to remind her cousin about.

"Guess what? He didn't." said Tess, ignoring Johnnie's protests. "It's a school dance, he takes his date onto the dance floor, kisses her and then leaves her on her own for the rest of the night."

By then, the boys were laughing their heads off while Hermione rolled her eyes at their immaturity. But even she had to it to herself, that was one of the most embarrassing first date she had ever.

"It was a slow dance, ok?"Johnnie was beet red and he wished he could melt into a puddle right on the street. "And it was my first kiss."

"Still doesn't excuse it." Tess nudged her elder cousin. "Chicken." She made clucking noises while making wing motions with her arms tucked in her sides.

"I was 15 for God's sake!" Johnnie exclaimed. "I panicked!" That only made the wizards laugh even more. Even Hermione started giggling for a bit.

Once they got to the shpp, they noticed there wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, Tess, and Johnnie waited, examining the cages.

A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.

The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.

"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bring him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.

Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.

"Er -" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -"

She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!"

Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.

It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.

"What was that?"

"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.

"Either way it was big and had a lot of fur." said Johnnie. "Where's Hermione?"

"Probably getting her owl." Ron said.

They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.

"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.

That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

"And she's already in love." Tess deadpanned.

"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."

"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.

They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with their shopping.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money -"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words."

"Yeah, well if they couldn't keep him in the slammer, how do you expect them to catch him outside of it?" Tess asked, prompting a look of interest from Hermione.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper. "Harry mind if I have a word?"

"Sure." Mr. Weasley pulled him into the men's bathroom.

"Harry, the Ministry would strongly discourage me from giving you this kind of warning. But you need to know the facts, you are in danger." Mr. Weasley put his hands on the young boy's shoulders. " **Grave** danger."

"Has this anything to do with Sirius Black sir?" Harry asked.

"What **do** you know of Sirius Black?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Only that he's escaped from Azkaban." said Harry.

"Do you know why?" Mr. Weasley asked only to get a head shake from Harry. "13 years ago when you stopped-

"Voldemort." Harry said.

"Don't say his name."

"Sorry."

"When you stopped…" Mr. Weasley paused. "You-know-Who, Black lost everything, but to this day, he still remains, a faithful servant. And in his mind, you are the only thing that stands in the way of You Know Who returning to power. And that is why he has escaped from Azkaban. To find you and-

"To kill me." Harry finished.

Mr. Weasley thought of telling Harry what he was going to say but he let it slide. "Harry, I want you to swear to me that whatever you might hear, you won't go looking for Black."

Harry seemed puzzled. "Mr. Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?


	8. Secret Meetings Hold Secret Lies

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

That night, Johnnie was packing his trunk for school after he had tried on the uniform. Like Tess, when he tried it on, he felt **very** uncomfortable. But he could tough it out, maybe without the robes though.

Suddenly, he heard a tapping noise on the window and he opened it to find an eagle with a letter attached to it.

"Thanks for sending that letter to America." said Johnnie, taking the letter and petting the eagle's head. "Now Codester, what news do you bring?"

But when he dumped the envelope's contents he found not only a folded piece of paper, a fading green check came flying out as well. Johnnie picked up the letter first.

 _Yo Johnnie,_

 _It's me, Cody. I found some of the things you left behind and I'm sending some eagles on the way. But I found something else in that crap place of yours. There was a box inside the wall, some kind of secret compartment and there was a check for a million in our money, uncashed. Someone named Narcissa Malfoy to wrote it to your mom and I've heard of these Malfoys. Stinkin' rich family they are and they had a quite a rep for being with Voldemort's side. But if you think that's something, check this out. I stink at math, but I found the date written right around the time your aunt moved here. Something's not stirring the kool aid._

Johnnie then picked up the check and saw that Cody was not kidding. The other weird thing was, that the check was written right when his late aunt Morgan Crosswell came to live in America. But he also noticed that it was written in December of 1979...about 7 months before his cousin was born.

Morgan had never really explained to the children why she had moved to America when there was a war going on in Britain at the time. She had also never mentioned anything about a check, let alone her life in Hogwarts.

"Why would Lucius' wife write a check to my aunt, and right before she moved back to America?" He asked himself, hid skeptical voice echoing the walls of the room.

Dinner was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, three Crosswells, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.

"I can see why." Ron said. "I mean after that incident with that car last year…." Everyone glared at him. "Shutting up now."

"Why though?" said Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Percy," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them-"

"- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.

"Good one!" Tess said, giving both of them a high five at the same time.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor..."

His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure.

Last year, when Dobby, the Malfoy's former house elf had caused them to miss the train, they used the car to get to Hogwarts, and they were nearly expelled.

"Well I think it's great you're all getting a big break." Sara said. "I mean, first that prize money, now these cars? Things might be looking up for you guys."

"Oh, now you jinxed it." Tess muttered, she didn't want to cause a fuss with her friends. "Oh God, all that Divination reading is getting to me."

"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground...You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"Well Perce, look at the bright side." said Tess. "In a few months, you can spread out all of your crap however you wish."

Perce's ears went red. "My things are not crap, Crosswell. They are essentials for helping me get through the year as Head Boy."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Tess scowled at Percy.

After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy.

Johnnie stayed behind. "Mr. Weasley."

"Yes?" He asked, being pretty much the only wizard left in the room.

"Have you ever heard of the Malfoys bribing anyone to leave the country?" Johnnie asked.

Mr. Weasley looked at him like he spoke Korean. "Could be more specific please?"

"My friend went through my apartment in New York." said Johnnie. "And he found this check. It was written off of Narcissa Malfoy's account into my aunt's. But it was never cashed in and the strange thing is, it was written around the time Aunt Morgan left Britain."

"Johnathan." said Mr. Weasley. "I've never heard anything of the sort about this check but I assure you, it's probably nothing. So you have nothing to worry about." Just as he was about to leave him, Mr. Weasley turned around and said, "And Johnathan, maybe it's best not to mention this check at all to anyone."

Mr. Weasley walked away from him, but Johnnie wasn't an idiot. He knew that something was definitely going on. But he had no time to think because he heard yelling upstairs so he made a run for the stairs. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.

The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.

"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing -"

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.

"Who hasn't touched what?" Johnnie asked.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.

"So is Scabbers's Rat Tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar -"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.

"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Johnnie called to Ron, and he with Harry went downstairs.

Harry and Johnnie were halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another group of angry voices coming from the parlor. A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys as well as Sara's. Harry hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlor door, Johnnie peering from a crack since he was taller.

"...makes no sense not to tell him, let alone Tess," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. Tess is more than capable of taking care of herself. They are both thirteen years old and -"

"Arthur, the truth would terrify either of them!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send two orphans back to school with that hanging over them? For heaven's sake, they are happy not knowing! They have been for the past decade!"

"Molly, you know how these kids are!" Sara argued vehemently. "They got themselves almost killed twice, because they screwed with things they didn't understand! And they were 11-12 for fuck's sake! Who's to say they won't try again if they know?"

Johnnie's dark eyebrows shot up to his hairline. His mother almost never swore like that. Sure she said a few curse words here and there whenever she was cranky from her lack of coffee, but never in his life had he heard her become so furious.

"I don't want to make the children miserable, I want to put them both on the guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "You know what, Harry, Tess, Hermione, and Ron are wandering off by themselves - they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."

"But he's fine now so -"

"Sara, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after -"

"But both Harry and Tess will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."

"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."

"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry-"

There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts." Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..."

There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.

"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But can we please talk about the giant dragon in the room? I heard you talking to Sara's boy about some check?"

"You're right Molly. He's onto it."

"This is serious, you two." Sara's aggravated voice came in. "If he finds out what that check was for, he's gonna tell Tess. You know how close he is to her." Johnnie could hear his mother run her fingers through her hair out of frustration. "Of all the people to find that damned check, it **had** to be my kid." There was a heavy silence in the parlor before Sara spoke again. "Look, I know I screwed up telling all of you after Morgan died, and I still feel really terrible about it. But we **cannot** let my so figure this out. If he tells Tess, she's going to flip."

"And then Black will come after her and twist his way into her mind." Mrs. Weasley said. "That poor girl, she's been through and seen too much for her life! The last thing this child needs is to be put through another traumatizing experience. The same with Harry as well."

Harry and Johnnie heard chairs move. As quietly as they could, they hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlor door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs.

The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.

Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.

"We've got it," Fred whispered to Harry. "We've been improving it."

The badge now read Bighead Boy.

Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed.

Meanwhile Johnnie looked out into the window and asked to himself, "What is so important about that check and why would Tess be involved with Harry's past?"


	9. Boarding the Train

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Everyone woke up the next day feeling groggy. Most of the wizards there, case in point Tess, wanted to keep sleeping, but they needed to catch the train to school.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better." Ron said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione, Sara, and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.

Harry or Johnnie had no chance to speak to Tess, Ron, or Hermione about what they overheard last night in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

Hermione still held her head up, ready to defend her new feline friend. "You know the Egyptians used to worship cats."

"Yeah, along with a dung beetle." Ron shot back.

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here, he said. "Harry, come on."

Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Tess, Sara, Johnnie, Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found the trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

Sara kept close to Johnnie's elbow all the way into the station, mostly because she was seeing him off to a new school and she did not want to miss it.

"Right then," Mr. Weasley said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

He strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.

In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.

Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

Once the remaining Weasleys, Crosswells, and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, then Tess, then Johnnie and finally Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" Sara squealed at Johnnie then began talking at a rapid pace. "This is such a big deal! Going to a new school and not to mention a new country! And you're of age! Oh please tell me about the girls you're going to meet and I'm babbling again aren't I?"

"Yes you are." said Johnnie who was blushing.

"Do take care, won't you Harry?" Mrs. Weasley said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron...no, they're not corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear..."

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave -" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I - er - I heard you and Mrs. Weasley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. "Sorry -"

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious.

"No - honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."

"Harry, you must be scared - "

"I'm not," said Harry sincerely. "Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but -"

"Arthur!" called Sara, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Hurry up! It's almost time!"

"He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word -"

" - that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.

"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black and if you find out anything at all suspicious, don't tell Tess."

Harry stared, "What?!"

There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.

"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens -"

"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron, Tess, and Hermione as the train picked up speed.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.

This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. Harry, Tess, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.

"How'd you know that?" Ron asked. "How is it she knows everything?"

"It's on his suitcase, Ronald" she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

"I know this guy!" Tess said from the door. "I met him before I went to Hogwarts. He stopped by my aunt's office. In fact, he was the one who talked me into going to that school."

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Harry, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile. Hermione gestured to the vacant spot next to her. Tess was sitting next to Harry who was sitting next to Lupin. Ron was on the other side with the other two wizards.

"That's obvious," whispered Ron. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed, which drove a lot of people away from it.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?"

Johnnie was silent as stone. He eyed the wizard like he was flipping through the pages of a new book. Except Johnnie got the strongest feeling of familiarity around Professor R.J Lupin, as if he had met the man before. The only problem was, he had never known anything about him.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked Johnnie.

"I'm thinking." He said. "I know Tess met this guy a couple of years ago but there's something about him that seems off. I think I've met him but I don't think I remember him."

"Maybe you heard him from Sara's conference with him?" Tess wondered.

"No, not that." He said. "Something about the name Lupin just feels familiar. Like I know it somehow."

"Do you think he's asleep?" Harry asked the others.

"Seems to be." said Ron. "Why?"

As he closed the compartment door, Harry said, "I've got to tell you all something."


	10. A Demented Hitchhiker

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

The train ride was long and quick at the same time, the day turning into night and the night sky filled with dark clouds and rain.

"Let me get this straight." said Ron. "Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to come after you and Tess?"

"Apparently." Harry replied.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione said worried. "You'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."

"Preach brother." said Johnnie, holding up a fist.

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

"But still." said Tess. "They'll catch Black eventually. I mean pretty much everybody is rooting for his capture.

"Sure." said Johnnie. "Except Azkaban is, or was one of the top security prisons in the world and it doesn't really help that he's a psychopath."

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "That's why most countries are on high alert. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too. He was imprisoned on over 10 murders."

"But they **will** catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..."

D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly to try to ease the tension that had suddenly fallen on the compartment. He nodded towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food. Luckily I saved some from the cart."

"Oh Ron." Tess said, shaking her head. "The host of the bottomless pit known as your stomach."

"Hey!" said Ron. "Food is important, especially if I'm a growing boy."

Johnnie sniggered at Harry's reaction of the words, "growing boy."

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er - Professor?" she said. "Excuse me - Professor?"

He didn't move.

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly. "I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Ron passed her.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"I may be new here but I'm pretty sure that we can't be there yet," said Johnnie, checking his watch.

"So why the pausies?" Tess asked.

"Don't know." Harry replied. "Maybe we've broken down."

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

Harry felt his way back to his seat.

"What's going on?" Tess asked.

"Dunno..." Ron muttered. There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out. "There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"Out here?" Tess asked. "I'm pretty sure we're nowhere near a train station."

"Sometimes you don't need a train station to get on a train." Hermione quipped.

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry and Tess' legs.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry -"

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down -" Johnnie made room as best as she could.

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had almost sat on Crookshanks by accident.

"I'm gonna go and ask the driver what the deal is." came Johnnie's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain. "But guys." He spoke in a voice that oozed authority. "Nobody leaves this compartment, ok? We all need to stick tight together. Understand?"

"Who's that?" Ginny's voice sounded.

"Who's that?" Came Hermione's voice.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron -"

"Come in and sit down -"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner.

None of them spoke.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him. He looked at Johnnie. "You too, young man. Stick with your friends."

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. Tess looked like she was going to throw up. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry and Tess's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak and floated closer to them.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart… Tess felt the same thing. It was like she was being pushed down in ice cold water.

Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...

And then, from far away, Harry heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. Tess heard an explosion and felt the heat of a large fire. She could smell the smoke coming from the burning building. They wanted to help whoever it was, they tried to move their arms, but couldn't...a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside both of them -

"Harry! Tess! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping his face and pinching Tess skin.

"W-what?"

"Wha is 'at?"

Harry and Tess opened their eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking - the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione were kneeling next to them, and above them they could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face. Tess took a few heaving breaths that sounded like she had come back for air after being submerged in water for so long.

Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that - that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.

"Then what was that exploding noise?" Tess asked confused. "And that heat?"

"I didn't hear anything." said Johnnie. "And it's still cool in here."

Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

"But I heard screaming -"

"I heard this boom-"

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"Here," he said to Harry and Tess, handing each a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it. Tess instantly took it and warmth spread to her fingertips and toes.

"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.

"A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the guards of Azkaban. It was searching the train for Sirius Black."

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor but not before giving his coat to Tess. "You look like you need the warmth."

"Are you sure you're both ok?" said Hermione, watching Harry and Tess anxiously.

"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.

"Well " Neville said. "- that thing - the Dementor - stood there and looked around - and both - you -"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You two went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -"

"And Professor Lupin stepped in front of you two, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Ginny, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

"Me too." said Johnnie. "And I thought that's what you felt in Los Angeles."

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"But didn't any of you fall off your seats?" said Tess.

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu; he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he and Tess gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt a warm fire light in his body, the kind of warmth one felt after being in a cold winter storm for so long.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," Professor Lupin had reappeared. "Are you all right, Harry? You too, Quintessa? Johnnie?"

Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name. But Johnnie took that liberty.

"H-how do you know my name?"

Lupin only chuckled. "I've known you since you were very small. I better go check on anyone else who needs chocolate. I find that it helps with any problem."


	11. The Welcome Back Feast

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All right, you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again. Tess managed on her own well but Ron helped her occasionally. Johnnie was already with the first years for his sorting.

As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.

As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"Oh go swallow some of that grease you rub in your scalp!" said Tess, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly ignoring Tess."Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage and looked at Tess and Draco suspiciously.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no - er - Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the three of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Crosswell! I want to see you both!"

Harry and Tess turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.

"There's no need to look so worried - I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Tess away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Tess to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you both were taken ill on the train."

Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.

"I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything -"

"Yet." Tess muttered.

"Oh, it's you two, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again? Frankly, I'm not surprised that Miss Crosswell here has managed to get in trouble on her first night."

"What can I say Nurse?" Tess asked innocently. "Trouble is my specialty, but for future reference, I'm just as innocent as the day I was conceived."

Harry rolled his eyes while groaning, "Oh please."

"It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall before any quarrell could start.

They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "These two won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate -"

"I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly while at the same time Tess exclaimed, "Oh hell to the nah I'm delicate!"

"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.

"What do they need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should they perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"We're fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.

"Well, they should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.

"We've already had some," said Tess. "New guy, Professor Lupin gave us some. He gave it to all of us."

"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

"Apparently so." said Tess nodding in agreement.

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter? Crosswell?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Never better." said Tess.

"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."

Harry and Tess went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. They had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

"Oh damn it!" said Tess softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry, Tess, and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Tess and Harry. Had the story of their collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast?

He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats. Tess looked over and saw Johnnie talking with the Ravenclaws. Tess was proud that he was at least sorted into somewhere.

"What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.

Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.

Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry. Snape also looked at Tess like that sometimes.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Grubbly-Plank, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Harry, Ron,Tess, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.

At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.

"All down ter you four," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Grubbly-Plank said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

Tess went over and gave Hagrid the biggest hug she could ever deliver and that caused Hagrid to become overwhelmed with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress singing and holding a glass.

"Fortuna Major!" Seamus Finnegan said to the Fat Lady who told him to wait and continued to sing in opera voice.

"Get this." said the Irish wizard. "She won't let me in."

"Fortuna Major." said Harry.

"No, no, no, wait, wait." said the Fat Lady. "Watch this." She continued to escalate in voice and then started shrieking and the glass broke (She actually smashed it against the wall). "Amazing, just with my voice."

"Fortuna Major." Harry said again.

"Yes alright." said the Fat Lady. "Go in."

"Thank you."

The Gryffindor students piled in with snippets of conversation here and there.

"She can't even sing."

"Exactly how many Galleons is that?"

"I don't know you tell me."

Harry went to his third year boys dormitory while Tess went to the girls.


	12. Wanna Know How Girls Work? Pay Attention

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

The boys in their dormitory were being wild boys while the girls were all starting their nightly ritual. The girl's dormitory in comparison with the boys was less wild and more cleaner. Occasionally Tess did turn her bed into a pigsty just to annoy Parvati Patil but after a while Parvati stopped attempting to fix it.

"So girls." Lavender Brown said. "Hogsmeade visits are near and you know what lies in Hogsmeade. Clothes! And remember, a lady must look her best!" While she was talking with Parvati and Winona Ryder, Tess moved to where Hermione was standing near the window but not before grabbing something from her bag.

"Hey Mione." said Tess cheerfully. "Why so frowny? Owl crap in your dinner?"

"No." said Hermione. "First, that's disgusting, and two, this is not a sad face, this is my thinking face."

"Wow." said Tess sarcastically. "That sounds like a fun way to think if I was an obsessed nerd, which is why I'm glad you're not on your way to total boring death by studying."

"I'm not obsessed." said Hermione. "I'm dedicated."

"Blah Blah Blah." said Tess boringly while handing Hermione a Kit Kat. "Have some chocolate. Keeps your strength up while you're menstruating."

Hermione looked at her best friend strangely. "I haven't even started menstruating yet."

"Yeah?" Tess asked, biting into her chocolate. "Neither have I." She noticed the paper in her friend's hand. "What is that?" She yanked it out of Hermione's hand and read it. "I'm positive that there's no computer here but whoever programs these schedules had some sort of malfunction."

Hermione scoffed. "And what makes you think that something is wrong with my course schedule?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that you can't have 2 classes at once." said Tess. "I don't doubt the Fastest Man Alive, but I'm pretty sure even the Flash can't be in two lessons at once."

"Who is Superman?" Winona asked. Apparently the rest of the girls were eavesdropping after getting bored with their conversation.

"I think he's some sort of superhero." Hermione said. "An American cultural thing I suppose."

"Some sort of superhero?" Tess scoffed. "The Flash is an icon! He's a founding member of the Justice League, which qualifies him as one of the greatest comic book heros ever!"

"Is he handsome?" Lavender asked.

"He is H-O-T hot." Tess remarked.

"Speaking of boys." said Parvati. "Anyone find anyone interesting? I think that Cedric Diggory's a cutie!"

"Hermione?" Tess asked her best friend, with raising her eyebrows. "Fancy anyone?"

"What? No!" Hermione spluttered. "I just want friends, not crushes! All I really need are friends, like Tess, you're the tough one."

"What about Harry?" Winona asked.

"He's the sweet one." said Hermione.

"And Ron?" Tess asked.

Hermione only scoffed. "He's the other one."

The girls however did not take this the way Hermione expected them to and began giggling except for Tess who just rolled her eyes.

"The other one hmm?"

"No!"

"What about you Tess?" Lavender asked. "Like anyone?"

"Me, ain't nobody got room for crushes." Tess replied coolly. "Don't have the time, don't have the uterus."

The girls looked a little weirded out at Tess' remark until the tension cleared with Hermione, who decided to have a little payback by asking, "What about you and Malfoy?"

Tess spat out her water immediately and it landed on Parvati, who in turn, freaked out a little and was wiping her forehead. "Whacha say now?"

"You know." said Hermione. "Your constant insults whenever he comes by, especially about his hair."

"Only because it's so greasy I could see it from satellite view." said Tess. "And what makes you think you can ship me and him? We have nothing in common!"

"Ship?" Parvati asked. "I don't recall any sort of boat in this conversation."

"No." said Tess. "Shipping is an American term for when you pair a couple of people together in your head, but it's only if you think they're right for each other."

"Anyway." Hermione said out loud to get back on topic. "Did you really think that I didn't notice you and Malfoy staring at each other at dinner for about 2 minutes?"

"So talk about Malfoy!" Parvati exclaimed.

By then, Tess was red in the face, heat bursting in her cheeks and she had never felt more embarrassed in her life. So instead of thinking of a witty comeback, she threw her pillow at Lavender.

"Take that back." She demanded. Tess only stuck out her middle finger at her and Lavender retaliated by throwing it back. Winona followed suit and started throwing her pillow at her.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" Parvati yelled and soon everyone except Hermione was in a frenzy, pillows were in the air and it only took about 20 seconds for Hermione to finally cave in and say, "Oh why not?" and joined in the third year girls in their makeshift pillow fight.


	13. Nearsight in Foresight

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Classes rolled in faster than a snapping firework the next day. Each of the Golden Quartet had their classes and their electives. Tess did not have Divination and Ancient Runes with the rest of her gang but she did have Care of Magical Creatures with them.

Right after breakfast, Tess moved on to a couple of her basic classes and then Divination was next.

The journey through the castle to North Tower was not too long. Two years at Hogwarts had given Tess enough time to explore some parts of the castle. But she hadn't had much time to explore the full corners of the castle because of the crazy mysteries involving her friends and the school. In other words, she had never been to the North Tower before.

"There's - got - to - be - a - short - cut," Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"I think it's this way," said Tess, peering down the empty passage to the right.

"Can't be," said Zacharias. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window..."

Just then, they noticed the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly.

"Aha!" he yelled, seeing Tess, Zac and a few others headed to Divination. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!" They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass.

"You ok, man?" said Tess, moving closer to the picture.

"Get back, you scurvy braggart-" The knight stopped when he saw her. "Ah! Forgive me, I did not expect to see such a lady as fair as you. Would you like me to smite these imbeciles that stand behind you?"

The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.

"No, these imbeciles are with me." said Tess. "We're actually a little lost, can you show us the way to the North Tower?"

"A quest!" The knight seemed to glow with happiness. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!" He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!"

And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight. They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead.

"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.

Puffing loudly, Tess and her classmates, climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Justin Flinch-Fletchy as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone loony enough to own a nut house."

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Zacharias nudged Justin and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.

"'Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" He read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"

As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone got quiet.

"That answer your question?" Tess remarked. "After you."

Justin climbed the ladder first.

They all emerged into the strangest-looking classroom she had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Professor Trelawney moved into the light, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Tess' immediate impression of the woman was of a large, glittering hippie. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Tess sat with Susan Bones and Padma Patil around the same round table.

"Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you...Books can take you only so far in this field..." At these words, Tess grinned thinking of Hermione's face at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject. "Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearances, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Terry Boot, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your owl well?"

"I think so," said Justin tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Justin gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry."

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball - if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And in June, one of our teachers will leave us forever."

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.

"I wonder, dear," she said to Lisa Turpin, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Lisa, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are hoping for - it will happen on Friday the 19th of December."

Lisa smiled.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing."

While everyone was getting their cups, Tess said to Susan and Padma, "It's no wonder this teacher hasn't been down from this attic. You think **you** would remember a walking chandelier." Susan and Padma chuckled at this.

When everyone had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.

"Right," said Padma as they both opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"

"Some kind of circle," said Susan. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making it annoying for Tess to breathe. "I'm still trying to read it though."

"I see some sort of pattern." said Tess. "I'm still trying to cross-reference it to my books."

"Never realized you were much for studying." Padma remarked.

"I'm a delinquent not a dummy." said Tess. "Big difference."

"Well they both start with a D so that's a start." said Susan causing Padma to snort.

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.

"Right, you've got a circle..." Tess consulted Unfogging the Future while reading Susan's. "That means you're going to have discovered something a little too late' - might be homework or something."

"My turn..." Padma peered into Tess teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. "This is strange. You know how a mud puddle is all murky and blurred? That's what yours is Tess, a blurred reading."

Professor Trelawney whirled around as soon as those words escaped Padma's mouth.

"Let me see that, my dear," she said reprovingly to Padma, sweeping over and snatching Tess' cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch.

Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.

"This is quite unusual."

She lowered her huge eyes to Tess' cup again and continued to turn it.

"I cannot get one sign. Could this mean-"

"What?" asked Tess unsure of what was going on.

Trelawney looked at Tess in wonder. "Why...I cannot read your future."

Everyone was staring, transfixed,at Professor Trelawney, who placed the cup down and put her hands on the point between Tess' eyebrows. "You my dear...are Fogged."

Everyone gasped at this. Tess looked confused. "What do you mean I'm Fogged?"

"A Fog." read Blaise Zabini from his book. "A rare phenomenon in which a wizard's future cannot be read unless their past is resolved."

Not wanting to talk about her past with her classmates, Tess dropped the subject and the lesson continued until the bell rang and just as everyone else was scrambling out through the trapdoor, Tess walked back to where Trelawney was cleaning up pieces of a teacup that someone had knocked over.

"What do you mean, my future can't be read?" Tess asked. "I'm not going to die am I?"

"I dread not young one." said Trelawney. "But as Mr. Zabini said, the only way a Fog can be uncovered is if you uncover a mystery of your life." She looked at her straight in the eyes, and Tess got the feeling her soul was being looked into. "And I sense a great cloud over your heart, a question that has plagued you your entire life."

"I don't know." said Tess, drumming her fingers on the table. 'I guess I've already come to terms with my past. Apart from my mom, I know nothing about my dad. Except for the part where I was conceived on alcohol and stress and he left before I was born."

"Then I sense you know the answer, Quintessa." said Trelawney. "But you fear to acknowledge it."

Deep down in her heart, Tess knew her professor was right. Throughout her life, she had always wondered what happened to her father, but never got a straight answer. Not from her mother, not from her aunt, not from anyone.

 _But could it be possible?_ She asked herself. _That the man who walked out on my mom is out there alive somewhere?_


	14. Contemplating on Deadbeat Daddy

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Tess sat in her Arithmancy class listening to Professor Vector give the basics on the study. But Tess wasn't thinking about wizarding mathematics then. Her mind was spinning with what happened with Divination.

Even though he never showed up in any part of her life, she still wanted to know about her father. She certainly didn't get her smile or her talent for trouble from her mother. Morgan was more calm and focused. Tess on the other hand, was always full of energy and just wanted to run around all day.

Throughout her life, the absence of her father wasn't a burden, but occasionally as a little girl, Tess always wondered where her daddy was since there was literally no trace of him in her life. N Johnnie was a different story. His father had an excuse for not being there for his son's life. He was killed in a war, he was helping people in need. Of course Morgan was devastated when her brother died, but at least he was there for his son when he was born and she took every opportunity to tell the young Crosswells about Micheal's life. But every time Tess asked about her own father, her mother would become cold and distant and would end the conversation before it even began.

Tess wasn't the first child of her generation in America to have a single parent. In fact, she was one of hundreds of children in New York City and one of thousands in America who grew up with a single parent. In America, when it came to domestic life, parents divorcing or having a parent walk out on you was about as common as cleaning the dishes.

While Professor Vector droned on and on about numbers and magic, Tess sat in her seat wondering if her father was alive, why didn't he ever come back? Didn't he want a child? Did he want a daughter? Did he even want to be a father?

The trouble was, Morgan was always cryptic whenever she talked about Tess' father, even when Johnnie asked about him. She would always say something like, "Never mention that wizard" or "He's dead to this family".

For years, Tess assumed that he was actually dead, until one night, just a few months before Morgan passed.

 _August, 1986_

 _In the middle of the night, 6 year old Tess Crosswell shot up in her bed. She could heard arguing voices coming from the kitchen in her Chicago home._

 _Her curiosity overpowering her judgement, Tess crept out of her bed, careful not to disturb her cousin who was visiting with his mother._

 _"-how many times must I drop this conversation?" Morgan's voice carried from the kitchen. Placing her ear on the door, the young Quintessa listened very closely, careful enough to keep her breathing silent. There was a small keyhole but it was wide enough for Tess to see her mother and her aunt sitting at a table drinking some amber liquid._

 _"Morgan, even Johnnie is asking quesitons." Sara spoke from the door. "You're gonna have to talk about him sooner or later."_

 _"Sara, it's as simple as putting two and two together." Morgan retorted. "I want nothing to do with Quintessa's father. Not then, not now. I spent years protecting the children from_ _ **his**_ _mistakes and I won't stop now. But Harry, he has no business being with that crowd of pigs and yet Dumbledore, for whatever reason trusts them more than me to raise him no matter how much I fight him and the Ministry."_

 _"Morgan, you're hurting." said Sara. "I understand how you feel. When Micheal died, I cried too. But I also didn't have time for a pity party. I had a kid to raise and I couldn't be more proud of you. Not that I'm saying you're bad, it's just that you're doing amazing and that I couldn't ask for a better mother for Tess and I'm gonna stop. But whatever he has done or who he is, that wizard is still Tess' dad, and she has a right to know at least his name. He's part of her family."_

 _"In case you forgot Sara," Morgan tightened her grip on the glass. "He_ _ **left**_ _his family. He made a promise to me to put his family first over everything. But he made his choice and I made mine."_

 _"All I'm saying is, that you don't have to forgive him." said Sara comfortingly, grabbing Morgan's hand. "But it would be wrong to forget him."_

 _Morgan cast her sky blue eyes down to her necklace. From behind the door, Tess peered closer and saw that it was a silver heart. There was an inscription on it but Tess couldn't read it because it was too tiny from where she was standing._

 _"You know what the crazy thing is?" asked Morgan quietly. "There's a tiny part of me that still loves him. At the moment, I'm not sure I can forgive him. But one day, I will talk about him."_

Maybe Tess believed her mother out of the love she had for her but she did have a point. Was her father there for when Tess was born? No. Was he there for her first birthday? No. And was he there when a gnome once bit her foot?

 _Hell no._ Tess thought to herself. _Mom's right. Whatever his excuse, he still abandoned his family._

But no matter how hard she tried, she could not deny her curiosity for her missing parent. Wherever he was, whoever he was, that curiosity would not be sated until those questions were answered.


	15. Insulting a Hippogriff: A Terrible Idea

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

By the time the lunch bell rang, Tess was more than happy to be out of a classroom. Noticing her best friends going down the stairs to the Great Hall, she ran up to them

"There you are, finally," said Hermione in an exasperated tone as Tess walked to her. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

"Who's got the Grim now?" Tess asked completley confused. Clearly she had much to catch up on with her friends.

"Harry does." said Ron. "He's got someone after him who's going to kill him."

"Well obviously because of Voldemort being after Harry." said Tess.

"Finally!" said Hermione. "Someone has common sense."

"But that doesn't mean it's not less of a warning." said Tess. "Not everyone has the Gift and Divination is not something you think, it's something you feel."

"Never really thought about it that way when I signed up." said Harry, adjusting his backpack.

"Of course you didn't because you chose the same classes as Ron." said Hermione. "Tell me Quintessa." Tess' purple eyes blazed at Hermione for using her full name. "What omen did you receive? The Grim as well?"

"None because apparently my future can't be read." said Tess. Everyone stopped and looked at her in shock, even Hermione.

"How is that possible?" Ron asked. "You can't be dying yet."

"No Ron." groaned Tess. "My future is blurred, it's Foggy."

'You're Fogged?" Ron asked.

"What's a Fog?" Harry asked.

"It's something blocking a wizard's future from being read." said Ron. "I heard Dad talking about one once but I've never seen it happen. According to him, the only thing that can uncover it is if they solve something from their past."

"What does that even mean?" Harry asked. "Sure Tess knows a lot, her mother dying, New York-

"Guys." said Tess whose voice was cracking. "As much as I appreciate your support as my best friends, I **really** don't wanna talk about it."

They all sat with Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"Oh snap!" Tess exclaimed. 'You did not just say that! Look alive men!"

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"

She snatched up her bag and stalked away.

Ron frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" he said to Harry. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet." Harry only shrugged while Tess gave an "I don't know" shrug

Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.

Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other and Tess kept out of their quarrel. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -"

" Exactly how do we do that?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look -"

He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!" Everyone took their chances stroking the books while Hagrid went off to prepare the class. However, one Monster Book got loose and went attacking one Neville Longbottom.

"I think they're funny," Hermione said to her friends.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off! God, this place is going to the dogs. Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him -"

"Shut up, Malfoy or else I'll shove that tie up your mouth" Harry said before Tess could step in.

"Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you -"

"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer..."

No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."

"Right - who wants ter go first?"

Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.

"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.

"Ah screw it." Tess walked forward, taking off her leather jacket, throwing it to Ron and rolling up the sleeves of her white button up shirt.

There was an intake of breath from behind her and heard several whispers behind her back,

"Are you insane?"

"I think that's hardly a question. It's Tess Crosswell."

She of course, ignored them. She grabbed the fence and swung her entire body over the paddock fence then rolled down, landing on her feet.

"Brave soul yeh are Tess!" roared Hagrid. "Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously but he held in his breath as well.

"Easy now, Tess," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."

Tess' eyes immediately began to water, but she didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Tess with one fierce orange eye. "Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Tess...now, bow."

Tess never bowed for anyone, but she did as she was told. She gave a short bow and then looked up.

The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at her. It didn't move.

"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right - back away, now, Tess, easy does it - Slowly there"

But then, to Tess' enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly walked forward just a little bit, bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Tess!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right - yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Feeling no reason to back out then, Tess moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. She patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.

The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.

"Righ' then, Tess," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him now!"

Tess snapped her neck around. "What?" Ignoring her cries of protest, Hagrid lifted her up and placed her firmly on Buckbeak's back.

This was more than she had bargained for. She was used to a broomstick and her mom's Animagus form; but she wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.

"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that..."

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.

"Hagrid, if you don't get me off, I swear I'm gonna-AAAHHHHHHH!" Gripping tight to Buckbeak's neck, Tess felt the Hippogriff's powerful wings flap as they soared into the windy sky.

It was nothing like riding a broomstick. It might as well have been similar to riding a pegasus, except it was part bird and had smooth feathers which Tess had a hard time maintianing her grip on. They didn't stop once they circled the castle. They rose higher and higher and higher. They flew past the towers of the immense castle, over the greenhouses and the Great Hall, literally getting a bird's eye view of Hogwarts. They flew over the castle for a bit more before Buckbeak gradually flew over to the Black Lake. Tess loosened her hold on Buckbeak's neck and held her arms wide open, feeling as if **she** was flying.

"WHOOOOOO!" She screamed while laughing. The moment ended when Hagrid whistled then, and Buckbeak wheeled, beating his way back to the paddock, and galloping to a halt once he landed. As Tess slid off, the class cheered save for Malfoy who muttered, "Oh please".

"Good work, Tess!" roared Hagrid. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched.

"How am I doing me first day?" Hagrid asked Ron.

"Brilliant..Professor." said Ron getting a clamp on the back from Hagrid.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for everyone to hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Crosswell could do it...I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff.

"Hey!" Tess said walking up to Malfoy and pushing him back. "Back off alright?!"

"Well this beast can't be all great and mighty." Malfoy sneered. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

It happened in a flash; Tess saw steely talons flapping wildly and and the next thing she knew, she was in the grass and so was Malfoy, groaning in pain as blood blossomed over his robes. Tess looked around panicking, wondering who else had been hurt. Luckily it was only Malfoy. Sure she get along with him but she still didn't want him maimed.

"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me - gotta get him outta here -Class dismissed!"

Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

"They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, Tess and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.

A couple of questions remained. When Malfoy insulted the Hippogriff, did she not react in time or did Malfoy push her out of the way?


	16. Bullies and Boggarts

The news of Hagrid's disastrous lesson had spread in a frenzy. People had taken to fearing Hagrid's classes so Hagrid made them less hands-on. Draco had taken advantage of his injury and was using it to spread his gloating and pain just to get sympathy. Mostly it was working with the Slytherins.

"Does it hurt terribly Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked one lunch.

"It comes and it goes." said Malfoy rubbing his arm. "Still, I consider myself lucky. Another minute without Madam Pomfrey, and I could have lost my arm. I couldn't possibly do any homework for weeks."

Out of the the entire fiasco, the only thing nobody dared to mention, was the split second in which Malfoy pushed Tess out of harms way, therefore saving her life. The moment was unspoken in or out of school halls, probably from people either not caring or not willing to draw on the subject. Even Tess and Malfoy avoided talking about it.

"Listen to Malfoy." said Ron bitterly. "He's really laying it thick isn't he?"

"Yeah, well at least Hagrid didn't get fired." said Harry.

"Yeah but I hear Draco's father's furious." said Hermione. "And considering that he's the school's governor, things might get worse."

Johnnie, who was sitting next to them, in his Ravenclaw uniform, save for the vest and robes, scoffed. "Might get worse? Hermione, this school might become involved in a lawsuit, hell, even Dumbledore or Hagrid might get sued."

"Either way." said Tess. "We haven't heard the end of this."

Professor Lupin wasn't there when the quartet arrived at their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

"Good afternoon third years" he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their teacher had brought a cageful of wild pixies to class and set them loose.

"This should be interesting." Tess whispered to Hermione. Unbeknownst to him, Lupin's ears picked up her words and only smiled at the girls.

"I trust you Miss Crosswell, you will not be dissapointed." said Professor Lupin. "Right then, if you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where they saw a rusty door.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty.

Everyone's attention was shaken by the rattling of a wardrobe.

"Intriguing isn't it?," asked Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"

"That's a Boggart that is." said Dean Thomas confidently.

"Very good Mr. Thomas." said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "Now can anyone tell me why Mr. Thomas guessed right?"

"Boggarts like the dark." said Tess. "They use enclosed spaces to hide until they jump at whoever crosses their path."

"Excellent Miss Crosswell." said Lupin. "Take 10 points to Gryffindor on your first day. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, for those of you who don't know, what **is** a Boggart?"

Hermione Granger as usual ,put up her hand.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means, that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin."It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing."

"Sounds like reverse psychology." Tess muttered, mildly amused by her comparison.

"We will practice the charm," said Professor Lupin. "Without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But a little louder and very clear. Riddikulus!" The class repeated.

"This class is ridiculous." Malfoy muttered to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Neville, will you step forward?"

Trembling slightly, Neville walked forward to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Right, Mr. Longbottom," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Gregory grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful.

"Professor Snape...hmmm...yes, frightens all. I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I want you to picture you wearing her clothes, only her clothes very clearly in your mind."

Neville looked startled, but said, "Well...she carries..."

"We don't need to hear." said Professor Lupin. "As long as you see it, we'll see it."

"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of your fear." said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry "Riddikulus" - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, you may find your result quite pleasant. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..."

The room went quiet. Tess thought...What scared her most in the world?

Her first thought was needles. She never admitted it to anyone, but she hated needles with a passion. It was mostly because she had to get a needle pricking every few years, just like any other witch or wizard in America.

Normally, vaccinations to a wizard would seem barbaric. But in Wizarding America, it was the opposite of one- instead of exposing a human body to a small sample of a virus, Hemo's Law required blood to be drawn to check for them.

Since the early 1950's when there had been a polio epidemic, the Law stated that once in 2 years, every witch or wizard in the United States, man, woman and child, were required to have their blood drawn from their body to be tested. It was medical check up serving many purposes: checking for disease in the body, searching for criminals, cross referencing DNA, donating blood (for vampires) or simply for research purposes.

Tess always hated the feeling of the cold long needle penetrating her muscles. After getting her blood drawn from a single arm, that arm might as well have been an immobile sack of flesh that was attached to her torso (They never gave a pain reliever). Luckily the side effect was temporary for only 24-36 hours. But even so, Tess hated taking that stupid bloody test.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin, bringing Tess to stop rubbing her arm.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot -"

They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One - two - three - now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Speak of the Devil, and he came, Severus Snape, as cold and frightening as he was in the dungeons.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. The Boggart was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R - r - riddikulus! " He squeaked.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati Patil walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising -

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus Finnegan walked past Parvati.

Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end - "Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Crack!

The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then - crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before - crack! - becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"

He hurried forward.

Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!" He yelled.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!"

Ron leapt forward.

Crack!

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then — "Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way.

Harry stepped forward and the boggart took a while to take shape but then it assumed the form of a Dementor. But before it could even come within 3 feet of Harry, Lupin stepped in front of him and shouted "Here!"

The Dementor instantly changed to an apparition of clouds covering a white orb.

"RIDDIKULUS!"

Crack!

The orb became a deflating balloon that zoomed around the class before plunging into the wardrobe that shut itself tight instantly after.

"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. We'll all get another chance next time. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Tess, however, stayed behind wanting to talk to Lupin.

"Hey Professor." She said.

"I see you have taken quite an interest in this lesson." said Lupin. "Is everything alright with Johnathan? Being in a new school in a new country, it must be stressful for your cousin. I know how that must have been for you."

"It took some adjusting but I managed to make quite a pack here." said Tess.

Lupin laughed softly at Tess' choice of words. "So it would seem. It looks like I did a good job of, what is the phrase? Getting through to you."

"Speaking of which." said Tess. "I never really got the chance to say, thanks." She threw her arms around Lupin who at first was shocked, but then returned the gesture.

"Tess?" Johnnie knocked at the door, holding his skateboard."Come on, we're gonna be late. Hey, Professor."

"I can see some American methods of fun just can't seem to die out here in Hogwarts." said Remus as he collected some parchment.

"It's a thing." said Tess. "You wouldn't understand."

Lupin rolled his eyes before looking at Tess with contempt. "I never got a chance to say this, but I knew your mother. Morgan loved you very much. I know it's late but I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks you Professor." Tess took one last look before running out the door with Johnnie. Remus cast a glance upon the ajar door and whispered to himself, "Morgan, your daughter is just as wild when she was a baby."

On their way to the Black Lake for a skateboarding adventure, Tess asked Johnnie in one corridor, "So, you seemed to know Lupin. What's the deal with that?"

"TBH, Tess I still have no clue." said Johnnie. "Well technically I have somewhat a clue, but it's kind of vague."

"Que pasa?" Tess asked.

"According to Lupin, he knew my parents, babysat me when I was three and that's the end of it." said Johnnie. "I know, not a lot to go on."

"But you still want to know about him, right?" Tess asked rhetorically.

"Yeah." Johnnie clutched his black skateboard with red stripes on it. (Tess' was also black with purple accents on it). "There's something off about that guy."


	17. Around the School

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin.

"Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. "He dresses like our old house elf."

But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creepy. water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire. Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.

Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him. Tess was almost in the same position as Harry except Trelawney had always looked at her as if she was studying a specimen of DNA. Tess found it creepy after a while so she asked she asked to be moved to a seat in the back but Trelawney freaked out saying that if she did, all would be lost. Neither Harry or Tess couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he were on his deathbed.

Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworms' throats.

At the start of October, however, Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it more than made up for his unsatisfactory classes. The Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.

There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, whose job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, soccer-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the field; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoomed around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defended the goal posts, and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all, that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points.

Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field.

"This is our last chance - my last chance - to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it. Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world - injuries - then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best - ruddy - team - in - the - school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."

Wood pointed at Tess Crosswell, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.

"Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.

"Let's kick some ass!" Tess said.

"Definitely," said Harry.

Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Harry's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.

Tess did mind the rain and mud but she brushed it off. Her motto when it came to sports, "If you're not suffering from severe cramps, you don't want it enough!"

Harry returned with Tess to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.

"What's happened?", he asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away. Hermione seemed to read his mind.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages -"

"Ron!" said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay in school -"

"Or…" Tess face broke into a devil dog smile. "I could sneak Harry in, he'll have a good time, and we'll sneak him back out. Easy peasy."

"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "Not with Sirius Black on the loose and the fact that he hasn't got his permission form signed! Have you lost your mind?"

Tess shrugged. "Probably."

"He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry -"

"Yeah, I think I will," said Harry, making up his mind.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" said Hermione. "Where's Johnnie with his dog? What was his name again?"

"He taking Padfoot for a walk." said Tess. "He might be able to bring him into Hogsmeade."

Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron.

"Just keep that cat over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."

Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag toward him, took out parchment, ink, and quill, and started work.

"You can copy mine, if you like," said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry.

Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.

"OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top -

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.

George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Tess tried to grab the cat but he was fast for a large cat. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.

"Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think -"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"

Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

"Oi, he really needs to chill." said Tess with Harry nodding in agreement.

Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.

"Careful, Weasley, careful!" cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.

They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.

Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as she, Tess, Harry, and Ron went to join the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender."

"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"

"The 16th?" Tess asked confused.

"Exactly! The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You - you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Tess. "but she was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't she? So either way, Trelawney was right."

Hermione scoffed. "Says the girl whose future apparently can't be read."

Everyone turned to Tess in surprise. "You're Fogged?"

"That's not important." said Tess as Hermione turned to Lavendar. "Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N - no!" sobbed Lavender. "H - he was only a baby!"

Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders and Tess gave Lavender a big hug. "I'm really sorry Lavendar. Is there anything any of us can do?"

"I just want Binky back!" Lavender sobbed.

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione.

Parvati and Tess glared at her. "Not. Helping."

"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today -" Lavender wailed loudly. "¨ And she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock -"

"Uh Hermione." said Tess. "I appreciate your "support" but can't you see Lavender's pet just died? The girl's upset."

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," said Ron loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other, and when they got into class, they seated themselves on either side of Harry and didn't talk to each other for the whole class.

Harry still hadn't decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.

"One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

Neville put up his hand.

"Please, Professor, I - I think I've lost -"

"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave."

"Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry.

"Oh. but -" Hermione began.

"Go for it, Harry," said Tess stubbornly. "What do you have to lose?"

Harry glared at her while she shrugged.

Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Yes, Potter?" Harry took a deep breath.

"Professor, my aunt and uncle - er - forgot to sign my form," he said.

Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything.

"So - er - d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I - if I go to Hogsmeade?"

Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk.

"I'm afraid not, Potter," she said. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule."

"But - Professor, my aunt and uncle - you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about - about Hogwarts forms and stuff," Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. "If you said I could go -"

"But I don't say so," said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission." She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity? "I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson."

"Oh and Crosswell?" McGonagall called out to the blonde American who was an inch close from leaving. "Professor Lupin wishes to see you."


	18. Time for Tea with Uncle Remy

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

With haste in her every step, Tess made her way to Professor Lupin's office, wondering what she had done wrong this time. But she brushed it off because she was Tess Crosswell, surely she wasn't invited for a cup of tea. Sure, she knew that breaking the rules was wrong but it was so much fun every time.

But before she even knocked on the office door, she heard Lupin's voice call out, "Come in Quintessa."

She froze. Even with the door being made of wood, there was no way he could have known it was specifically her.

 _He's got good ears then._ She thought to herself as she opened the door.

"How the hell did you know it was me?"

She found Lupin sorting papers, cracking a smile. "I have keen hearing Quintessa and not to mention years of practice, dealing with Morgan's devious ways. Your father too." Tess could have sworn she heard that last part under his breath.

"I know this is completely rhetorical but what did I do this time and how much time in detention do I have to serve?" Tess asked.

Lupin smiled at her. "You worry too much. You're not in trouble at all. Though considering your record, I'd say you **are** trouble." Tess glowed with pride. "I just wanted to have a little chat. Please have a seat. I've got some tea, biscuits, unfortunately no pizza. But I do have chocolate."

Putting aside her leather jacket, she sat down and grabbed a piece of chocolate. She completely ignored a few crumbs slithering down her red and gold tie. Ever since first year, she had strongly disliked the Hogwarts uniform, complaining that she was wearing conformity. So she made herself comfortable, by getting rid of the vest, skirt, tights and flats and put on with the shirt, and tie, jeans, sneakers and/or combat boots. Whenever it was cold, she'd put on a leather jacket. But never robes. She always hated the robes and was tempted every single day burn a set.

"How are you?" Lupin asked breaking the icy silence.

"Good I guess." She said. "I mean, my classes are pretty cool, Ancient Runes is awesome but Arithmancy has it's capital A for annoying."

"I thought Arithmancy was interesting ." said Lupin taking a sip of his tea. "But that was just me."I was like Hermione, in my day. Always studying. Morgan often joked that I was a high profiled nerd."

"How did you meet my mom anyway?" Tess asked. "She never talked about her life in Hogwarts."

Lupin made a noise of understanding and grief. ""I'm afraid your mother's outlook on Hogwarts had become a reminder of what she had lost. But she was much like you. Wild, indifferent to the rules, but she was as proud and stubborn as a Hippogriff. She had a reputation of using spray paint as a signature to her pranks. I was about your age when I met her. I remember the first thing she said to my friend was that he smelt like a wet dog."

"That doesn't surprise me." said Tess. "Mom was always straight to the point with me.

"Well yeah, I mean during the war a lot of people died." said Tess. "The Bones, Prewetts, Uncle Mike..."

"A lot of innocent people, young and old, perished at the hands of Lord Voldemort and his forces." Lupin said sadly. "Not a day goes by that I don't know how many families were torn apart."

Tess looked at her biscuit, suddenly not feeling very hungry. _So many people dead at the hands of a monster._ Tess thought to herself. _Even Harry's parents and he's never known them. Why couldn't Voldemort just leave them alone?_

"Professor?" Tess asked. "What happened to my mom? Why did she stop fighting in the war?"

Lupin took a staggering breath. "Honestly, I've never known. It's been one of many mysteries to me. One day she was laying out some floor plans to sneak into Malfoy Manor. And then one week later, she leaves without saying goodbye. I've known Morgan for years, so something must have forced her to leave. Whatever it was, her top concern from the moment she became pregnant, was her child."

"Yeah." Tess cast her violet eyes downward, to avoid Lupin seeing the slightest glisten forming at the whites of her eyes. She quickly swallowed a breath and looked at her Professor again.

"Is that why you brought me up here?" She asked. "To tell stories on my mom?"

"No." He said, getting up and cupping her cheek. "When I saw you down the halls, I swore I saw Morgan. Same as I saw Harry as James for one day. I thought to myself, those two must be at it again. I don't want to make you or Harry feel uncomfortable, but my door is always open for you two as I have yet to have a similar conversation with Harry."

Tess smiled. "You really did know our parents did you?"

Lupin nodded. "We were as close as a pack." He glanced upward at the clock and frowned. "Oh, I hate how time passes by so quickly. Tess, this was a really eventful chat we had but I'm afraid it's almost dinner and I'm sure your friends will be worried where you are."

Grabbing her leather jacket, Tess hoisted her backpack up on her shoulder and almost reached the door when she turned around and looked at Professor Lupin. She paused to look at him before running to him and embracing him in a hug.

"Thanks for telling me about my mom." She whispered. "You have no idea how much it means to me."

Lupin responded by hugging her with one arm. "Of course. Like I said, my door is always open."


	19. The Fat Lady Doesn't Sing

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

By the time Halloween came near, there was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione and amused Tess; Hermione assumed an 'all-for-the-best' expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade. Tess wanted to do something for Harry but Hermione stopped her and threatened her with a Bat Boogey Hex that would last until Christmas.

"There's always the feast," said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening."

"Yeah," said Harry gloomily, "great."

The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was quite good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernon's signature on the form, but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadn't had it signed, that was no good. Ron halfheartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them. Tess had offered to have Harry smuggled in Hogsmeade with her, using her street smarts of course. She still had a contact from a friend who moved to Singapore who was good at disguising people but Hermione stamped on it. Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.

"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

"If you're not coming, I'm staying." said Tess.

"No." said Harry. "Go with your cousin, take a walk with Padfoot."

"Tess!" Johnnie shouted with Padfoot at his side. "I'll meet you at Honeydukes!" He went with the rest of the 7th years. Although the large black dog was on a leash and was well behaved, it didn't sway people from fearing the dog because of the Grim rumor. Johnnie kept him in the dorms and took him on walks whenever he could. Of course whenever he was around the Quartet and a few first years, Padfoot was as energetic as lightning, he always wanted to play.

"Keep the Grim away from Harry!" Lavender squealed when she saw Padfoot.

"Chillax, he's just Padfoot!" Johnnie reined in the dog that was starting to bark a little wildly.

Harry accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"

Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Password?" said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze.

"Fortuna Major," said Harry listlessly.

The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first-and second-years, and a few older students, who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off.

"Harry! Harry! Hi, Harry!"

It was Colin Creevey, a second year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him.

"Aren't you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey -" Colin looked eagerly around at his friends - "you can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!"

"Er - no, thanks, Colin," said Harry, who wasn't in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead. "I - I've got to go to the library, got to get some work done."

After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and head back out of the portrait hole again.

"What was the point of waking me up?" the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away.

Harry wandered dispiritedly toward the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didn't feel like working. He turned around and came face-to-face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors.

"What are you doing?" Filch snarled suspiciously.

"Nothing," said Harry truthfully.

"Nothing!" spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. "A likely story! Sneaking around on your own - why aren't you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?"

Harry shrugged.

"Well, get back to your common room where you belong!" snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight.

But Harry didn't go back to the common room; he climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Harry?"

Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door.

"What are you doing?" said Lupin, though in a very different voice from Filch. "Where are Ron, Tess, Johnathan, and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.

"Ah," said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson."

"A what?" said Harry.

He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"Water demon," said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.

"Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."

"All right," said Harry awkwardly.

Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.

"Sit down," said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid - but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?"

Harry looked at him. Lupin's eyes were twinkling.

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked.

"Professor McGonagall told me," said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. "You're not worried, are you?"

"No," said Harry.

He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he'd seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to. But every time he saw Padfoot, he never ignored the feeling of familiarity. Trouble was, whenever he saw the dog, it wasn't like the one he saw when he left Privet Drive. Padfoot was well taken care of, fed, washed and looked like he had been living with his owner for years. He didn't want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn't cope with a Boggart.

Something of Harry's thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, "Something worrying you, Harry?"

"No," Harry lied. He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. "Yes," he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupin's desk. "You know that day we fought the Boggart?"

"Yes," said Lupin slowly.

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" said Harry abruptly.

Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.

Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.

"Why?" he said again.

"Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.

"Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."

"I did think of Voldemort at first," said Harry honestly. "But then I remembered that night on the train. I - I remembered those Dementors."

"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well...I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry."

Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he drank some more tea.

"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?" said Lupin shrewdly.

"Well...yeah," said Harry. He was suddenly feeling a lot happier. "Professor Lupin, when the Dementor came at me, I heard something. A woman, she was screaming. Tess said she felt heat and heard a loud explosion."

"Oh, Dementors force us to relive our worst memories." Lupin said sadly. "Our pain becomes their power."

A heavy pause blanketed the room until Harry spoke in a small voice. "I think...that it was my mother. The night she was murdered."

Lupin nodded, looking at Harry with a mournful expression on his face. "You know the very first time I saw you, I recognized who you were. Not by your scar, by your eyes. They're your mother, Lily's. Oh, yes. I knew her. Your mother was there for me at a time when most people weren't. Not only was she a singularly gifted witch, she was also an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others when they could not see it themselves. Your father, James on the other hand, he had, some would say a talent for trouble." Harry smiled at that. "A talent, rumor has it, he passed onto y-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," called Lupin.

The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing.

"Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin.

"I was just showing Harry my Grindylow," said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank.

"Fascinating," said Snape, without looking at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."

"Yes, Yes, I will," said Lupin.

"I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more."

"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."

"Not at all," said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didn't like. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.

Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled.

"Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.

"Why -?" Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question.

"I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," he blurted out.

"Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion.

"Some people reckon -" Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.

"Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later."

"Right," said Harry, putting down his empty teacup.

The empty goblet was still smoking.

When it was time for dinner, the Hogsmeade trip was over.

"There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry."

A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron, The Crosswells, and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.

"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

By the sound of it - everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides.

"The post office, Harry!" Johnnie said in amazement. "About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look -" Tess nudged the delicious looking fudge in Harry's hand.

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks -" Hermione said.

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up -" Ron said dreaming in the distance.

"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"

"No," said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in..."

He told them all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open.

"Lupin drank it?" he gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Well if it's Lupin taking advice from a fellow staff member, I'd say he'd know what he's doing." said Johnnie.

"But it's Snape." Ron argued.

Hermione checked her watch.

"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes." They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.

"But if he - you know -" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to - to poison Lupin - he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry."

"Yeah, maybe," said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape's eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.

It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The Dementors send their love, Potter!"

Harry, Ron, Tess and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower.

"Honeydukes Sweetshop is killer." said Tess. "But nothing beats Zonko's. We never did get a chance to go to the Shrieking Shack. You might have caught word that it's-"

"The most haunted building in Britain, yeah I know." Harry cut her off.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron.

"Probably Neville forgot the password again." said Tess.

"Hey!" Neville said.

"Oh sorry dude." She said quickly.

Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the commotion here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me, I'm Head Boy -"

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.

A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.

"Oh, my -" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.

"Heard there was some commotio-holy shit!" Johnnie exclaimed.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."


	20. How Did He Do It?

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags and hundreds of fluffy white pillows.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Ron said to Johnnie, Tess, Harry and Hermione; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

Tess snorted. " **Still** in the castle? I think the real question is how he got **in** the castle."

"Maybe he Apparated?" Eon asked.

"Not a chance." said Hermione.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "What's Apparating?"

"One." Johnnie pulled up a sleeping bag with the group. "Apparating is basically teleportation. Two, this entire campus is covered layer upon layer with security enhancements. Not to mention Dementors"

"Well they're doing a pretty nice job." said Harry sarcastically. "However he slipped past all of those measures, I have no idea."

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he still might be in the castle." said Ron.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."

Hermione shuddered.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.

"And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from Johnnie, Tess, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all who pretended to be asleep as soon as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

"Headmaster?" It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched..."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

Harry raised his head very slightly off his arms to free his other ear.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

Harry opened his eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to him, but he could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems - almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed -"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.

"What about Potter?" Snape asked. "Should he be warned?"

"For now let him sleep.I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.

Harry glanced sideways at Johnnie, Tess, Ron and Hermione. Both of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.

"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.

Tess shrugged while Johnnie finally drifted off to sleep into the realm of his own imagination. The realm of dreams was one entirely of one's own, whether it was in swimming in the deepest ocean, gliding over the highest cloud, or reliving a small piece of your life.

It wasn't a surprise Johnnie remembered little of Professor Lupin. But in fairness, he was so little when he had stumbled upon his secret.


	21. Under a Full Moon

_**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! I am so so sorry for not updating, I've been really busy, but I am back! I'm still kind of busy but at least I was able to squeeze this chapter out. I don't know when the next update will be but I am back in writing this fic! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**_

 _Nighttime had fallen upon the wide and open spaces in the State of Montana in February of 1980. One werewolf had already gone through another painful transformation as the moon showed itself. Fortunately, the werewolf was locked behind a large fence and had taken the Wolfsbane Potion. The wizard within the wolf's body insisted his friends lock him up, despite retaining his human mind that night._

 _Remus Lupin was visiting his friends, who at the time lived in Montana because some of the Wizarding War in Britain was starting to spread past it's borders and slip into the Eastern territories of the United States of America. At the time, Morgan was helping out with dealing with the spreading war, so Lupin evacuated the Crosswells, making sure they were safe in the countryside. Just to be sure that they were safe, he even stayed with them for a few weeks which coincided with the full moon and it was too dangerous for him to be in civilization with the rising paranoia of the war taking root in America._

 _So when he asked Michael and Sara Crosswell to make sure that their three year old son, Johnnie Crosswell to stay in the house at all times, they agreed, knowing that the Wolfsbane Potion was effective and he would need help during the full moon. At least they knew where everyone would be during those nightly hours. But of course, one cannot contain a child's wonder of the world._

 _Little Johnnie was in his room in the one story cottage playing with his action figures. His mopy hair brushed his cheeks and his brown eyes were creating fantasy for the entertainment of playtime. But suddenly, he saw a firefly dancing in his room. Being the curious little boy he was, he tried to reach for the firefly so he could make a friend. But the firefly was too fast for him and went out into the crack near the closed windows. He tried to open the windows but they were magically shut. Of course, being his mother's son, he never gave up. he snuck downstairs past Sara who was fixing dinner (his father was fixing a part of the roof that had gotten blasted off in an accident), and ran outside and found another firefly flying around. Little Johnnie ran for it and ran and ran until he heard a small whine that sounded almost canine. He turned around and peered in closer inside a large circular fence and saw a large wolf-like creature. The wolf didn't want to hurt the little boy but it crept up closer to him and moved his head in the direction of the cottage, in an attempt to tell the little boy to run back. Wolf-Remus braced itself for the child to run in fear when he realized what he was._

 _But he didn't move a muscle. Not out of shock but he was curious. "Mommy and Daddy said there would be a wolf out here. But you're not that scary."_

 _Remus felt torn inside. He also felt the need to explain that he was not a very nice wolf and could possibly hurt him, even from inside a cage. Maybe it was because of the Wolfsbane Potion but Johnnie didn't seem to fear him at all._

 _Are you lost, Wolfie?" He asked. "Where's your pack? Are you lonely?"_

 _He wanted to explain to this child that he did not have a pack like some other werewolves he had heard about. Although he would have been lying to himself if he didn't feel warmth pour inside him from the child's genuine concern._

" _I'm sorry, Wolfie." Johnnie sat down. "If you want, I can be your new pack. We could be friends."_

 _Remus gave a snort, which could have been confused for a laugh. He hadn't felt this way since the Marauders, when he could be himself around somebody who didn't care what he was. The only problem was, Johnnie had no idea of_ who _he was. It apparently didn't matter, because Remus felt happy that a child showed compassion for a dangerous beast such as him._

 _But he needed to get him to his parents._

 _"JOHNATHAN!" A voice thundered across the field. Even Remus' enhanced hearing could hear that. So he stepped back and let loose a howl, the sound reverberating across the plains like a tsunami. He repeated his call a few more times before Micheal Crosswell scooped up his son in his arms._

 _"Johnnie!" Sara exclaimed, standing right next to her husband. Michael was a handsome wizard, with a slim build from Quidditch games at school. He had peach skin, dark hair just like Johnnie's and blue eyes. Sometimes Michael would put on the famous Crosswell devious smile. But tonight, he was not a happy camper._

 _"Johnathan Spencer Crosswell!" He almost yelled. "What were you thinking son? You could have lost your way! But I'm so glad you're safe!" He hugged him tightly and noticed Lupin staring at him. "You didn't...bite him did you?"_

 _"Michael, it's ok." Sara stroked her husband's hair. "I mean, both Johnnie and Lupin are ok. That's all that matters"_

 _"Wolfie's not that scary" said Little Johnnie pointing to Lupin. "He's a nice Wolfie, just lonely. Can I be friends with him?"_

 _"Oh." Michael's features softened a bit. "Well Johnnie, Wolfie is just staying here for now before we release him back into the wild. But don't worry, I'm sure his friends will be happy to see him."_

" _Let me take Johnnie back, it's almost near his bedtime anyway." said Sara. "You stay with Lupin." She turned her attention back to her son. "Say bye bye to Wolfie."_

 _"Bye Bye Wolfie!" The young boy eagerly parroted._

 _Lupin let out as what could only be described as a wolf snort of a chuckle. Even he had to admit, that Little Johnnie was one bright young man who seemed to be able to find the joy at a stressful time for him and relieve some of the pressure. He would have to leave in a few days but Lupin hoped it wouldn't be the last time he saw the boy._

 _It certainly was not, because many years later, Remus Lupin would defend the Crosswell boy, his cousin and their friends from a Dementor on the Hogwarts Express._


	22. Lupin's Illness

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.

"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

"And the only one brave enough happens to be a medieval nutcase." Tess drawled sarcastically one day when she was talking about him to her cousin.

Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's worries. He was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. The strange thing was, whenever Tess was near him, they doubled the security. But most of the time Tess alone was being watched, but less than Harry, and it was by either Snape, McGonagall, or Lupin. To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died.

"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter and I should tell you since Crosswell is busy." she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black -"

"I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."

Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback. She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter -"

"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"

Professor McGonagall considered him intently. Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested him as Seeker in the first Place. He waited, holding his breath.

"Hmm..."Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well...goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last...but all the same, Potter...I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions. And whatever you do, make sure Crosswell is not talking with anyone she does not know. Keep her close."

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"

"Well either that or Malfoy's a big wuss!" Tess said.

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory -"

Angelina and Katie suddenly giggled.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at this lighthearted behavior.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.

"Strong and silent," said Katie, and they started to giggle again.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.

"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.

"If only you had a spine to support that arm." Johnnie said walking past him.

In the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, Lupin didn't show up so everyone assumed that he was running late. That was until one Severus Snape showed up, closed the windows and said, "Turn to page 394."

Everyone got out their books immediately. Snape walked down the aisle, watching every move.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" Harry said.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "Turn to page 394." With a tap of his wand, he turned on the projector and waving his wand, causing Ron's pages to flip all the way to-

"Werewolves?" Ron asked.

"But, sir, we've just begun learning about done Red Caps and Hinkypunks." said Hermione quickly, "We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks."

"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on -"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."

"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf -"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.

"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed. Now getting back to the lesson, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" No one raised their hand. "No one-Granger! I thought I told you to put your hand down."

"Actually, it's me." An American voice sounded out. It was Tess.

"Crosswell." Snape said icily. "Go ahead."

"An Animagus is someone who **wants** to turn into an animal. And whatever form they take reflects the wizard himself. A werewolf's got no choice and is stuck with being a wolf."

There was an cold, dead silence that seemed to linger for a while, until Snape said, "Take 2 points Gryffindor."

The whole class looked at her in surprise. Even Hermione looked stumped. Snape had never given so much as a point to anyone but Slytherin.

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Nice choice of words." Snape hissed in her ear. "I believe your mother was a Phoenix back in the day, am I correct?" Tess looked at him like she had just seen death. She never told anyone, even her friends, that her mother was an unregistered Animagus. "I know more about your parents than you think I do, stupid girl."

When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject with particular emphasis on recognizing one, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

Harry, Hermione, and Tess left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.

"Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said to Hermione. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the Boggart?"

"Even without the Boggart," said Tess. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that Lupin and Snape have a history."

"I don't know," said Hermione pensively. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon..."

Ron caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage.

"D'you know what that bastard-"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded

"-is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

During her spare time, Tess went to work on her essay in the library. She wanted to get it done as soon as she could, before she forgot because of Quidditch. After all that adrenaline from flying on that broomstick, she would **not** want to do any work of the sort.

All seemed normal, as study time could be imagine, but it wasn't until she reached the second half of her essay that alarm bells sounded in her head.

 _The wolf,_ She wrote. _Or in Latin, Canis Lupus._

She froze right there at the word, Lupus. She reread her rolls of parchment, as the gears began to turn in her head.

"Wait a minute." She whispered, running to the nearest shelf on astronomy and picking up a book on lunar charts. She flipped to the current month's chart of the moon's phases and flipped through another book she borrowed to check that she had gotten the right symptoms. She had seen someone who had gained almost a pallor only yesterday. Along with the superhuman hearing, and the scars, it seemed to make sense of Lupin's "illness". At first she thought the scars on him were caused by an out of control rabbit, but when she got a close look at them, she realized that they looked like claw marks. She knew from experience after a nasty fight with Tituba one time.

But it was then that she remembered him talking about his "furry little problem" 2 years ago when she first met him.

 _Could it be possible?_ She wondered.

Thinking quickly, she looked at the chart in the other book and as she read through it, she realized that the Lupin took a sick day from work, almost 12 hours before the full moon tonight. She took out a piece of parchment and wrote Lupus and under it, the name Lupin. She circled the first 3 letters of both names, Lup.

Gathering her essentials, she walked out of the library back to the common room. Her mind was still reeling from shock. After all, it wasn't every day one found out their teacher was a werewolf. But even though, Tess wasn't afraid of them, she had never met one before, and didn't think they were so bad.

After all, The United States of America was a melting pot, even for wizardkind. So all all sorts of creatures flickered in and out of the city. In fact, when she lived in her Manhattan apartment, the neighbor next door was a vampire.


	23. Dangers Involving A Sport

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Tess woke up very early the next morning; so early that it was still dark. For a moment she thought the roaring of the wind had woken her. Then she felt a cold breeze on the back of her neck and sat bolt upright - Peeves the Poltergeist had been floating next to her, blowing hard in her ear. She tried to punch him but failed, forgetting for a second that he was a ghost.

"What the hell?" said Tess furiously, swatting him away. "You're lucky you're a ghost or else I would have knocked your teeth out!" Peeves puffed out his cheeks, blew hard, and zoomed backward out of the room, cackling.

Tess fumbled for her alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four. Cursing Peeves, she rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that she was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours she would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale chasing the Quaffle. Finally, she thought, _screw it_ to the idea of getting any sleep at all. She got up, got dressed, picked up her broom, and walked quietly out of the dormitory.

As Tess opened the door, something brushed against her leg. She bent down just in time to pick up Crookshanks by the end of his bushy tail and drag him outside.

"There you go, kitty," Tess told Crookshanks. She added, nudging Crookshanks down the spiral staircase with her foot. "And don't even think about attacking Scabbers."

The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Tess was used to sleeping around loud noises from the city and thunderstorms. But this one was a raging monster in the sky, howling with never ending sounds that mimicked explosions. Nevertheless, she was starting to feel very apprehensive. So she lay down on the scarlett couch in front of the fireplace, after tending to it so it would create even more heat.

Tess waited through the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up the boys' staircase again. At long last Tess thought it must be time for breakfast, so she headed through the portrait hole alone.

"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan.

"Oh, shut that painted trap of yours," Tess yawned.

She revived a bit over on scrambled eggs, and then after Harry joined her, the rest of the team had turned up.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Katie soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. just before he entered the locker room, Harry saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at him from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.

"Crosswell!" said Malfoy marching up to her.

"Yes?" She asked.

With a smug grin, he answered, "Try not to fall off your broom, will you?" He didn't sound arrogant at all. His tone was full of pride for Slytherin of course but what Tess couldn't hear over the intense wind, was a subliminal layer of genuine concern.

"Thanks." Tess tightened her grip on her broomstick.

"HEY MALFOY!" Harry said storming towards them. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving." said Malfoy. "Best of luck losing Potter."

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over Harry's glasses. How on earth was he going to see the Snitch in this?

The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant - they were off.

Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.

Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming.

Tess was soaked to the bone and zoomed on her broom passing the Quaffle. Despite her robes, there wasn't much to help the intense cold that had settled in her skin. It felt like she was being encased in ice. More than anything she wanted to get off this field, but she knew she had to tough it out and win for Gryffindor.

They both lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold their brooms straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. The tight bun holding Tess' hair had come undone and her entire hair had been blown over her head, occasionally covering her face. More than a few times, Tess nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, the rain so thick, and her hair constantly dangling in front of her eyes; she could hardly tell them apart...

With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.

"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here -"

They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?" Tess asked wiping her blond hair back.

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

"This is why you should have taken up contacts like I suggested." said Tess.

"I am never putting anything on my eyeballs again." Harry retorted to her annoyed. "They're impossible to put on and remove."

At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.

"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"

He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"

"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.

"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it! Tess, want to do the honors?"

"GET YOUR ASSES IN THE SKY!" Tess shouted, having her hair fixed and pulled back into a tight bun (thanks to a hair charm from Katie)

Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see. Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction...

There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly -

He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog that looked like Padfoot, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats.

Harry's numb hands slipped on the broom handle and his Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking his sodden bangs out of his eyes, he squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished.

"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"

Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them...

With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.

"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"

But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf - what was going on?

Tess was reaching for the Quaffle when she felt faint and horribly cold. She knew this feeling all too well, she had had nightmares from the first time she experienced a dreadful feeling such as this.

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over them, inside them, just as they became aware of something moving on the field below...

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tess said loudly to no one as she looked down on the field. "Here? Now?"

Harry, only a few feet away from his best friend, of course heard her and couldn't help but agree with her as he took his eyes off the Snitch and also looked down, realizing what she had seen.

At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at them, shot up like torpedos, and were floating beside each of them. It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again...Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head...a woman...

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead -"

Tess wanted to fight them, but she knew what they were capable of. After passing the Quaffle to Angelina and yelling at her to get away from them, Tess flew past the Dementors but while she did, she heard the familiar haunting explosion, which sounded like ten thousand claps of thunder, more than the storm above could ever produce. The whoosh of fire spread across her body and Tess started coughing as she inhaled what appeared to be smoke and her vision started to blur as a bright fiery vision filled Tess' vision, and she began to fall down...down….down.

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain...What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her...She was going to die...She was going to be murdered…

He was falling, falling through the icy mist.

"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..."

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more.

"Lucky Dumbledore caught them before they hit the ground."

"I thought they both were dead for sure."

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

"Lucky Tess didn't break her head."

"Like it couldn't get anymore broken?"

Harry or Tess could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. They didn't have a clue where they were, or how they had gotten there, or what they'd been doing before they got there. All they knew was that every inch of their bodies felt as though they had been beaten.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest...the scariest thing...hooded black figures...cold...screaming...

Harry's and Tess' eyes snapped open. They was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around their beds that were seated right next to each other. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.

"Harry! Tess! " said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud. "How're you two feeling?"

It was as though Harry's memory was on fast forward. The lightning...the Grim...the Snitch...and the Dementors…

"Except for the aching and the fact that I have no idea how we got here, I think we're uh, pretty chill." said Tess.

"Chill?" Ron asked.

"She means she's ok." Johnnie translated.

"What happened?" Harry said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.

"You both fell off," said Fred. "Must've been - what - fifty feet?"

"We thought you both had died," said Katie, who was shaking.

Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.

"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into them like stones.

"We lost, didn't we?" Tess asked rhetorically.

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square...even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.

"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Tess got out of the bed and punched the wall. "Damn it!"

Johnnie put his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, cuz."

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.

"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points."

"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..."

"It all depends on the points - a margin of a hundred either way -"

Harry lay there, not saying a word. They had lost...for the first time ever, he had lost a Quidditch match.

"Just chill, bro." said Tess. "You know who I blame? Those fucking Dementors." She fixed her eyes on her cousin. "They're not still around are they?"

"Oh, you should have seen Dumbledore." Johnnie shuddered at the memory. "Beyond pissed he was. Dementors aren't supposed to be on campus. As soon as he saved both of your falling asses he sent them straight off. I'm pretty sure I heard him yelling at them."

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave them in peace.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up. Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had. You too Tess, even though you're not a Seeker."

The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione moved nearer to Harry and Tess' beds.

"Oh I wish you were awake." said Ron. "After Dumbledore saved you and sent off the Dementors, he magicked you both onto a couple of stretchers. And walked up to school with you both floating on them. Everyone thought you two were..."

His voice faded, but Harry hardly noticed. He was thinking about what the Dementors had done to him...about the screaming voice. He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at him so anxiously that he quickly cast around for something matter-of-fact to say.

"Did someone get our brooms?"

Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione looked quickly at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Er -"

"What?" said Harry, looking from one to the other.

"Uh, the good news is." said Johnnie. "Tess' broom only hit a couple of students in the crowds, don't know which house it was. Harry, your broom though…"

"What?"

"It hit the..." Hermione winced. " it hit - oh, Harry - it hit the Whomping Willow."

Harry's insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds. Harry, Ron, and Tess were unlucky to get a taste of it's wrath when they were blocked from taking the train on the start of their second year.

"And?" he said, dreading the answer.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It - it doesn't like being hit."

"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.

Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.


	24. Putting The Foot Down

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been updating, I've just moved to a new place and there's been a lot to pack and unpack, so I've been very busy lately! But fear not, a new chapter has arrived! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Tess and Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. Neither one of them argued or complained, but Harry wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn't help it; he felt as though he'd lost one of his best friends.

Tess offered to give him her broom but Harry declined, saying that he wanted to hold on to his Nimbus.

They both had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering both up. Hagrid sent Harry a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit. But the company with Tess was comfortable. The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione left Harry and Tess bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make Harry feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling him.

One day however, a surprise visitor turned up, while Harry was sleeping, to find Tess reading a comic book.

"Dr. Strange?" Malfoy asked. "Who's this Dr. Strange? Is he a wizard?"

"Some might say that." said Tess as she put it away. "But if you read comic books, you wouldn't ask that question."

" I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about and yet here we are." Malfoy retorted.

Tess rolled her amethyst eyes. "Draco, what do you want?"

"While I am enjoying the bitter defeat of you Gryffindors, I was very specific that you would not fall off your broom." said Malfoy. "But again, here you are. Why is it you never listen to anybody?"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Tess asked. "I wasn't paying attention."

"You're impossible." Malfoy shook his head.

"No, you're insufferable." said Tess. "Then again it could be the enormous amounts of butter you put in your hair."

Malfoy groaned. "I never slicked my hair that much. It's your filthy Yank nonsense that makes you impossible."

"Is this a distraction for some ploy?" asked Tess. "Where are your sidekicks?"

"Pigging out in the Great Hall as normal days go." said Malfoy. "I was heading back to my common room when I decided to drop by. And to wish that Tosser Potter never gets out."

"All I have to do is scream and Pomfery's gonna whoop your ass out of here." said Tess.

"But you won't do that." said Malfoy.

"And how do you know that?" Tess asked boldly.

"Because compared to the rest of your friends, you're not a coward." Malfoy replied.

"And unlike you, me and my friends aren't conceited douchebags." Tess sht back quickly.

"You never give up, do you?"

"No, not really no."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Madam Pomfery rushed in between the third years. "Can't you see that these children need rest? Out, out with you this instant! OUT!" She dragged Malfoy away and just when he was inches away from the door, he called back to Tess, "Enjoy naptime, Crosswell!" But as soon as those words escaped his mouth, Tess stuck out her middle finger at the wizard.

"How mature of you, Tess." Harry gave her a disapproving look. "And stop talking to Malfoy, will you?"

"Sure thing Mr. Eavesdropper." Tess snuggled under the covers of her bed.

"S'not my fault I'm a light sleeper." Harry retorted.

Harry hadn't told anyone about the Grim, not even Ron, Tess, and Hermione, because he knew Ron would panic and Hermione would scoff. The fact remained, however, that it had now appeared twice, and both appearances had been followed by near-fatal accidents; the first time, he had nearly been run over by the Knight Bus; the second, fallen fifty feet from his broomstick. Was the Grim going to haunt him until he actually died? Was he going to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for the beast?

Harry did talk to Johnnie about the Grim looking suspiciously like Padfoot, but he insisted that he kept his dog locked in his dorm, because apparently he hated rain. How could have Padfoot been at the match?

And then there were the Dementors. Harry felt sick and humiliated every time he thought of them. Tess just wanted them to leave her alone. Everyone said the Dementors were horrible, but no one else collapsed every time they went near one. No one else heard echoes in their head of their dying parents or how they happened.

Because Harry knew who that screaming voice belonged to now. He had heard her words, heard them over and over again during the night hours in the hospital wing while he lay awake, staring at the strips of moonlight on the ceiling. When the Dementors approached him, he heard the last moments of his mother's life, her attempts to protect him, Harry, from Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort's laughter before he murdered her...Harry dozed fitfully, sinking into dreams full of clammy, rotted hands and petrified pleading, jerking awake to dwell again on his mother's voice.

Tess knew from the first time she heard the sound, that it was the night of her mother's death, when the Salem Squad building exploded. And Morgan Crosswell's body was almost burned beyond recognition because of the severe damage that was done. Tess could never get the image of her mother's charred body out of her head from the moment she first saw it.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where he was forced to think about other things, even if he had to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom. Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor. Tess endured Pansy Parkinson's behavior, after all, she'd heard worse insults. Even though the rest of her friends tried to protect her, Tess argued saying that she could take care of herself.

"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Hermione."

Hermione peered around the classroom door.

"It's okay!"

Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves -"

"- two rolls of parchment!"

"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly.

The babble broke out again.

"Yes, but he said we were really behind -"

"- he wouldn't listen -"

"- two rolls of parchment!"

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh no," said Hermione, looking very disappointed. "I've already finished it!"

"Me too." said Tess.

"Who are you and what have you done with Quintessa Crosswell?" Hermione asked jokingly. Tess stuck out her tongue at her best friend.

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead - people follow the light - then -"

The Hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Harry among them, but -

"Wait a moment, Harry and Tess." Lupin called. "I'd like a word."

Harry and Tess doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth.

"I heard about the match," said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

"No," said Harry. "The tree smashed it to bits."

Lupin sighed.

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance." Tess got the feeling that he wasn't telling the whole story but she let it slide. No one knew it, not even the Crosswells, but Johnnie and Tess and Hermione were three of the few people in Hogwarts who knew about Lupin's condition and they didn't tell anyone out of fear for him and his job. They didn't want to give up the best teacher this school had and Tess certainly didn't want to hurt the person who was practically an uncle to both her and Harry.

"Did you hear about the Dementors too?" She asked.

Lupin looked at her quickly.

"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time...furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds...I suppose they were the reason you two fell?"

"Yes," said Harry. He hesitated, and then the question he had to ask burst from him before he could stop himself. "Why? Why do they affect us like that? Am I just -?"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The Dementors affect you both worse than the others because there are horrors in both of your pasts that the others don't have. Horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine." A ray of wintry sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's gray hairs and the lines on his young face. "Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself - soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you two, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"When they get near me -" Harry stared at Lupin's desk, his throat tight. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

"I can also hear the explosion that took my mom's life." Tess said.

"Explosion?" Harry asked. Tess had never really told her friends about the night her mother died.

Lupin made a sudden motion with his arms as though to grip both Tess and Harry's shoulders, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then -

"Why did they have to come to the match?" said Tess bitterly. "What are we to them, fast food?"

"They're getting hungry," said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up...I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement...emotions running high...it was their idea of a feast."

"Azkaban must be terrible," Harry muttered. Lupin nodded grimly.

"Well, it's a prison what did you expect?" Tess asked him rhetorically.

"The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."

"But Sirius Black escaped from them," Harry said slowly. "He got away..."

"I still can't figure out how." Tess chimed in.

Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

"Yes," he said, straightening up, "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible...Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long..."

"You made that Dementor on the train back off," said Harry suddenly.

"Which means that you can teach us what you know." said Tess knowing exactly what Harry was thinking.

"There are - certain defenses one can use," said Lupin. "But there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."

"What defenses?" said Harry at once. "Can you teach us?"

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors, Harry - quite the contrary..."

"But if the Dementors come to another Quidditch match, or wherever we are, we need to be ready for anything." said Tess. "If you want to make sure we don't become their snacks again, the least we can do is learn how to defend ourselves."

Lupin looked into Harry and Tess' determined faces, hesitated, then said, "Well...all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill."


	25. The Map of Marauders

**Hey guys! I have returned with the Prisoner of Azkaban! And cover your ears, I DO NOT OWN ANYONE BUT MY OC'S!**

What with the promise of anti-Dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear their mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, Harry's mood took a definite upturn. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all, although they could not afford to lose another match. Wood became repossessed of his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Harry saw no hint of a Dementor within the grounds. Dumbledore's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances.

Tess was already pumped for the lessons, ready to "kick some decaying Dementor ass".

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Ron, Tess, and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy, and Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, Harry wasn't fooled; they were doing it to keep him company, and he was very grateful. Johnnie had gone back with Padfoot back to his mother for the holidays.

To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

"I need the fresh air." said Tess.

Resigned to the fact that he would be the only third year staying behind again, Harry borrowed a copy of Which Broomstick from Wood, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. He had been riding one of the school brooms at team practice, an ancient Shooting Star, which was very slow and jerky; he definitely needed a new broom of his own.

On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry bid good-bye to Ron, Tess, and Hermione, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the marble staircase alone, and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

Soon, he got very bored and decided that if he wasn't going to Hogsmeade with permission, he decided that he would just have to get there undetected. Grabbing his father's Invisibility Cloak he made his way into the courtyards where he stumbled across The Weasley Twins building a snowman. Of course, his footprints in the rising snow was noticeable so the twins grabbed Harry by what they correctly assumed were his arms.

"Clever Harry." said Fred.

"But not clever enough." said George.

"Besides, we've got a better idea."

"Guys let me go." Harry grunted. "I'm trying to get to Hogsmeade!"

"We know." the twins said in unison. They dragged him in a hall near a broom closet. "Now Harry, come and join the big boys."

They pulled the cloak off Harry and placed a piece of parchment in his hand. It was a large square piece with nothing written on it. "What are you doing? What's this rubbish?"

Fred scoffed. " 'What's this rubbish?' He says. That there is the secret to our success."

"It's a wrench, giving it to you," said George, "but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart," said Fred. "We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."

"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?" said Harry.

"A bit of old parchment!" said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. "Explain, George."

"Well...when we were in our first year, Harry - young, carefree, and innocent -"

Harry snorted. He doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent.

"¨See well, more innocent than we are now - we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason -"

"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual -"

"- detention -"

"- disembowelment -"

"- and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"Don't tell me -" said Harry, starting to grin.

"Well, what would you've done?" said Fred. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed - this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes," said Fred, smirking. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding me up," said Harry, looking at the ragged old bit of parchment.

"Oh, are we?" said George.

He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Phoenix, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Harry bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Harry's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else.

This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead -

"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" - he pointed them out - "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in - completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."

"Moony, Wormtail, Phoenix, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly. "Although I'm pretty sure that this Phoenix was a woman."

"Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it -"

"- or anyone can read it," Fred said warningly.

"Just tap it again and say, "Mischief managed!" And it'll go blank."

"So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you behave yourself."

"See you in Honeydukes," said George, winking.

They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way.

Harry stood there, gazing at the miraculous map. He watched the tiny ink Mrs. Norris turn left and pause to sniff at something on the floor. If Filch really didn't know...he wouldn't have to pass the Dementors at all...

But even as he stood there, flooded with excitement, something Harry had once heard Mr. Weasley say came floating out of his memory:

 _Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain._

This map was one of those dangerous magical objects Mr. Weasley had been warning against...Aids for Magical Mischief Makers...but then, Harry reasoned, he only wanted to use it to get into Hogsmeade, it wasn't as though he wanted to steal anything or attack anyone...and Fred and George had been using it for years without anything horrible happening…

Harry traced the secret passage to Honeydukes with his finger.

Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, he rolled up the map, stuffed it inside his robes, and hurried to the door of the classroom. He opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, he edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.

What did he have to do? He pulled out the map again and saw to his astonishment, that a new ink figure had appeared upon it, labeled 'Harry Potter'. This figure was standing exactly where the real Harry was standing, about halfway down the third-floor corridor. Harry watched carefully. His little Ink self appeared to be tapping the witch with his minute wand. Harry quickly took out his real wand and tapped the statue. Nothing happened. He looked back at the map. The tiniest speech bubble had appeared next to his figure. The word inside said, 'Dissendium.'

"Dissendium!" Harry whispered, tapping the stone witch again.

At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. Harry glanced quickly up and down the corridor, then tucked the map away again, hoisted himself into the hole headfirst, and pushed himself forward.

He slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. He stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark. He held up his wand, muttered, "Lumos!" and saw that he was in a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. He raised the map, tapped it with the tip of his wand, and muttered, "Mischief managed!" The map went blank at once. He folded it carefully, tucked it inside his robes, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, he set off.

The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Harry hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding his wand out in front of him.

It took ages, but Harry had the thought of Honeydukes to sustain him. After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Harry sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold.

Ten minutes later, he came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above him. Careful not to make any noise, Harry began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, he lost count as he climbed, watching his feet...then, without warning, his head hit something hard.

It seemed to be a trapdoor. Harry stood there, massaging the top of his head, listening. He couldn't hear any sounds above him. Very slowly, he pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.

He was in a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Harry climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it - it blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Harry crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs. Now he could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.

Wondering what he ought to do, he suddenly heard a door open much closer at hand; somebody was about to come downstairs.

"And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out -" said a woman's voice.

A pair of feet was coming down the staircase. Harry leapt behind an enormous crate and waited for the footsteps to pass. He heard the man shifting boxes against the opposite wall. He might not get another chance -

Quickly and silently, Harry dodged out from his hiding place and climbed the stairs; looking back, he saw an enormous backside and shiny bald head, buried in a box. Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, slipped through it, and found himself behind the counter of Honeydukes - he ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up.

Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that no one looked twice at Harry. He edged among them, looking around, and suppressed a laugh as he imagined the look that would spread over Dudley's piggy face if he could see where Harry was now.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' - sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.

Harry squeezed himself through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them.

"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," said Harry behind them.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How - how did you -?"

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"

"'Course I haven't," said Harry. "Where's Tess?"

"She's out exploring Hogsmaede by herself." said Hermione. "I think she wanted to see Zonko's Joke Shop again, she loves that place."

"That's no surprise." Harry dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.


End file.
